Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Schedule a Time to Visit the Pennsylvania Geologic Survey Library

You can visit the Geological Survey Library in Middletown to see research and other materials, but you need to make an appointment first.

Overview

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Geological Survey, or Pennsylvania Geological Survey, studies rocks and land in Pennsylvania and shares what they learn with the public.

The library is open to the public if you make an appointment. It’s open Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. If you need to cancel or change your appointment, call the library at 717-702-2020.

Additional resources:

Library Items

Descriptions of the library items are listed below.

The Pennsylvania Geological Survey has collections of aerial photographs from 1946 to 1999 that you can view or borrow in the library. Here’s a summary:

1. Agricultural and Stabilization Conservation Series (ASCS): Photos from 1946 to 1981. Black and white, mostly at a scale of 1:20,000. Covers almost all of Pennsylvania except Philadelphia.

2. United States Geological Survey (USGS): Mostly from the late 1960s and 1970s. Black and white, mostly between scales of 1:20,000 and 1:40,000. Covers all of Pennsylvania.

3. National High-Altitude Photography (NHAP): Started in 1980. High altitude, mostly black and white, at a scale of 1:80,000. Some color-infrared photos are available. Covers all of Pennsylvania.

4. National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP):

First phase started in 1987, second in 1992, and third in 1999.
First-phase photos are black and white with some color infrared.
Photos from the 1990s are black and white.
All are at a scale of 1:40,000.
The third phase covers only eastern and parts of central Pennsylvania.

You can also find some of these photos online:

USGS Earth Explorer(opens in a new tab): Has photos from several different sources.
Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA) Imagery Navigator: Includes NHAP and NAPP photos and most of the ASCS photos. You can right-click on the map to get details and download links.
Historical Aerial Viewer: Shows most ASCS photos. Zoom in to see markers for different times.

Visitors to the library can:

Choose from more than 20,000 geological books and maps.
Access more than 90 geology journals.
Find specific items using the State Library of Pennsylvania online catalog.

The library also has:

All Pennsylvania Geological Survey publications.
State-related reports and maps from the United States Geological Survey and federal Bureau of Mines.
Some publications from other states and countries.

Books and journals can be borrowed for up to four weeks. If needed, local libraries can help you borrow these items from other libraries.

The library has thousands of old photographs taken by geologists and staff, some from the early 1900s.

Additional photos are being scanned to make them available online.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) makes topographic maps that show physical and cultural features of an area. They started making these maps on paper from 1884 to 2006, and since 2009, they’ve been making them in digital form.

You can view or download free maps or buy printed copies from the USGS Store.

The survey library has many paper topographic maps of the state. You can look at these maps in the library, but you can’t borrow them.

The maps come in different sizes, including:

1:24,000 scale – Detailed maps covering small areas (7.5-minute maps)
1:62,500 scale – Maps covering a bit larger areas (15-minute maps)
1:50,000 scale – County-wide maps
1:100,000 scale – Larger maps covering wider areas (30- by 60-minute maps)
1:250,000 scale – Maps covering even larger areas (1- by 2-degree maps)
1:500,000 scale – Statewide maps

Contact us

For more details about library services and operations, contact the survey library at:

DCNR Bureau of Geological Survey
3240 Schoolhouse Road
Middletown, PA 17057
Phone: 717-702-2020

Schedule a Time to Visit the Pennsylvania Geologic Survey Library

Overview

Additional resources:

Library Items

Contact us

Top Services

PA.GOV

Schedule a Time to Visit the Pennsylvania Geologic Survey Library

Overview

Additional resources:

Library Items

Aerial Photographs

Geologic Texts, Maps, and Journals

Historical Photographs

Topographic Maps

Contact us

Top Services

PA.GOV