Organization

The State Library of Pennsylvania has two bureaus:

The Bureau of the State Library traces its historic roots to 1745 when the General Assembly requested that its Clerk, Benjamin Franklin, order a set of the English Statutes and some maps for reference use. It has grown to one of the largest collections of materials about Pennsylvania and serves the information and research needs of all branches of State Government. As a statewide resource center and law library, the State Library provides residents with Pennsylvania State and U.S. Government Documents, print materials, digitized collections, online reference services and automated resources. Rapid access to other state and national collections is available through online systems, networks, interlibrary cooperation and databases. The Rare Collections Library includes the Provincial Assembly Collection, a historic collection of rare colonial imprints and the largest collection of Pennsylvania newspapers in the world.

The Bureau of Library Development coordinates and aids in supporting a network of state-aided local, district and statewide resource libraries established under the provisions of the Library Code. The Bureau coordinates continuing education to the broad library community and addresses the reading and literacy needs of children, young adults and their parents and special services to seniors and the visually and physically handicapped. The Bureau of Library Development provides support to libraries within state supported institutions, academic libraries, special libraries, and school libraries in public and non-public schools.