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Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    State Library of Pennsylvania

    About

    Mission Statement

    The Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) within the Pennsylvania Departme​nt of Education (PDE) supports, develops, and provides library services for learning and advancement.​

    Purpose an​​d Core Values

    Purp​​ose

    We collect, preserve, and connect government, libraries, and residents to the information and resources they need to build a successful Pennsylvania.

    Core Valu​​​es

    Passio​​​n

    • We care about what we do and the services we provide.
    • We are enthusiastic about the possibilities for the State Library.
    • We are dedicated to the profession of librarianship.
    • We encourage patrons to use the library and to share their experiences, bringing in new patrons.

    Integri​​ty

    • We respect and value each person and their work; we listen, seek to understand, and acknowledge each person without bias.
    • We act ethically and with transparency.
    • We value privacy.
    • We are accountable for our actions.
    • We strive for honest and clear two-way communications at all levels.

    Excellence

    • We strive to be the best with consistency, accuracy and flexibility.
    • We believe Pennsylvania should have the best service and access to information.
    • We encourage lifelong learning for ourselves and others and support the curiosity of our patrons.
    • We value collaborative relationships.
    • We strive to be an example of government that works.​​
     

    Organization

    The Office of Commonwealth Libraries serve​s Pennsylvanians through the work of 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 (BLD) in the Office of Commonwealth Libraries supports libraries and library services for Pennsylvanians through the administration of state and federally-funded programs and grant opportunities including LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act), Library Access, LAMP (Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians), the Public Library Subsidy, and Keystone Grants for Public Library Facilities. BLD also provides advisory services, professional development, and continuing education for library staff at public, school, academic, and special libraries.

    For additional information on the Bureau of Library Development, please visit the Contact Us page.