show-hide control

Franklin Homepage

"Libraries are not just about books or buildings; they are also about people,” said Brigitte Weinsteiger, the new H. Carton Rogers III Vice Provost and director of the Penn Libraries.

Read our announcement

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.

A person sits on a couch in Van Pelt Library looking at a laptop

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.

Looking at a laptop screen displaying the homepage of the Criterion Collection.

Request Scans

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

A person sits at a large scanner scanning a book

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.

A library staff member puts books on a cart in Van Pelt Library.

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.

A person sitting on a bench outside looking at their phone.

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.

A person sits in front of a laptop, pointing at a large historical document that is under a large format camera

Find Your Personal Librarian

From Accounting to Veterinary Medicine, one of our subject specialists can tailor help to your particular focus.

A person sits at a table in a library room, gesturing at a group of students

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.

People studying by the felt wall of the Reading Room. Cushioned seats and reading lamps line the long wooden tables.

Reserve a room

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

Rolling chairs surrounding a long conference table. There is a rolling whiteboard in the room as well as large windows that provide a view of campus.

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.

Aerial view of Penn's quad, showing Van Pelt Library and the Fisher Fine Arts Library.

Explore Canvas and Related Resources

Find support, training, and instructional design services for Canvas—Penn’s learning management system—and related educational technologies.

Students sit at a seminar table with laptops out in the WIC Class of 1968 Seminar Room

Book a Classroom Space

Use our spaces finder to book a classroom with the setup and technology that suits your needs.

Looking down on a large table covered in documents and with students sitting around it.

Course Reserves

Set aside books, films, and sound recordings for classroom use.

Looking down an aisle in the library stacks.

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.

Lollywood film poster featuring provocative women and men fighting.

Khajistan and the Shaping of Pakistani Cultural Histories

The Penn Libraries is collaborating with preservation organization Khajistan to acquire ephemera, magazines, pulp fiction, and rare books that document the cultural history of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.

A journal cover is red, with text and an abstract drawing of a bird in black ink.

Nova khata: A Ukrainian Folk Art Journal in Interwar Galicia

The Penn Libraries has recently acquired several issues of the women’s journal Nova khata (New Home), which offer a unique window into Ukrainian culture as it existed a century ago in Galicia.

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

View all

Window with Common Press decal lettering and a view into the letterpress studio

Workshop

July 24, 2024

Letterpress Printing Orientation & Training

This is a prerequisite orientation for working on independent projects at Common Press. Registration is required.

2:00pm - 4:30pm
Common Press

Open to Penn Students, Faculty, and Staff

Workshop

July 25, 2024

Coffee with a Codex: James DePreist and Marian Anderson

On July 25, Head of the Otto E. Albrecht Music Library & Eugene Ormandy Music & Media Center Liza Vick will bring out a poetry chapbook by conductor James DePreist, paired with a handwritten letter from DePreist to his aunt, contralto Marian Anderson.

12:00pm - 12:30pm
Online

Open to the Public

Workshop

July 26, 2024

Letterpress-printed Business Cards Workshop

For people who have taken the Intro to Letterpress Workshop in the past 2 years. Design and print your own business or calling cards with text of your choice.

1:00pm - 4:00pm
Common Press, basement of Fisher Fine Arts Library