State Library of Pennsylvania

The primary role of the State Library of Pennsylvania is to collect, preserve and provide access to materials for, by and about Pennsylvania for the information and research needs of all branches of state government, libraries and the public. Established in 1745, the library maintains and provides access to vast and varied collections of print materials, newspapers, maps and atlases, and rare books that tell the history of Pennsylvania and its people. The library has chosen to digitize selected rare and Pennsylvania-specific items in an effort to make them more widely available, both through our own website and now through Internet Archive. The State Library is located in the Forum Building, immediately behind the Capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.