Due to police activity on the College Green, access to Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center is restricted until further notice. Current students, faculty and staff with a valid Penn card are permitted to enter and exit through the Rosengarten Undergraduate Study Center on the ground floor. 

During reading period, April 30 to May 14: Access to Van Pelt and Fisher Fine Arts Library is limited. Find more information.

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Need help prepping for finals? Want to know how to find things in the library? Talk to a librarian! Use our "Ask" chat to message us Monday-Friday 9am-5pm and get a real-time response, wherever you are.

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Using the Library

Quick Start Guide

Search the Franklin Catalog

Use Franklin to find books, journal articles, databases, CDs and DVDs, and anything else in the Penn Libraries collections.

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Get Off-Campus Access

Need to access subscription materials like journals, databases, and ebooks when you’re not on campus? Check out our cheat sheet.

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Request Scans

Our library staff can scan book chapters and articles for quick delivery directly to your inbox.

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Receive Books by Mail

When you register for Books By Mail, you can request to have books sent to your off-campus address anywhere in the United States.

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Ask a Question Anytime

Explore our archive of Frequently Asked Questions. Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Submit your question anytime, and we’ll respond within 24 hours.

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Book a Consultation

Book an in-person or virtual consultation with a librarian or technology consultant with expertise in your field of study, copyright, digital fabrication, or statistical and design software.

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Browse our spaces

Explore our array of flexible and innovative spaces, from collaborative or quiet study spots to classrooms designed for active learning and equipped with the latest technology.

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Reserve a room

Already know exactly which room you need? Head directly to our room reservation system.

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Explore our library locations

Like to study in the middle of the night? Need specialized databases at your fingertips? Looking for a location close to your classes? Find out how to visit all our library locations across campus—and beyond—and discover which one suits your needs best. 

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Featured Collections

The Penn Libraries' global collections encompass hundreds of languages and scripts across a broad range of subject areas, preserving the rich cultural and scholarly record from Africa, East Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and South Asia. Read about some of our unique recent acquisitions.

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Exploring Chinese Internet Literature

To more accurately reflect the diversity of literature in China, the Penn Libraries has made a special effort to add recent internet novels that have been published in print form to our collection.

Upcoming Events

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Printed pattern of black squirrels, green leaves, and other repeating designs in red and green
May 16, 2024

Black Squirrel Pattern Printing and Button Making: An Open Studio Event

Come print a pattern paper designed by Common Press studio coordinator Erica Honson, featuring black squirrels and architectural elements of the Fisher Fine Arts Library. And make your own button featuring the pattern.

  • 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library (Lower Level)
Open to the Public
Image of letterpress printed cards
  • Workshop
May 17, 2024

Letterpress-printed Business Cards Workshop

For people who have taken the Intro to Letterpress Workshop in the past 2 years, this class invites you to dive further into your letterpress practice. Come design and print your own business or calling cards with text of your choice! 

  • 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library (Lower Level)
Open to Penn Students, Faculty, and Staff
A brass robotic figure sits at a wooden desk and writes with a feather pen
  • Workshop
May 22, 2024

Copyright Chat: Authorship and Generative AI

In this copyright chat, copyright advisor Stephen Wolfson will discuss authorship in copyright law and when works generated by artificial intelligence may qualify for copyright protection.

  • 11:00am - 12:00pm
  • Meyerson Conference Room, 2nd Floor, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center
Open to the Public