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Alumni Use of the Library

Many of the resources of the Penn Library are available for use by Penn alumni. For information about weekend and holiday access to the libraries and courtesy borrowing see below.

We invite all interested alumni to come to library events & exhibits.

Weekend and Holiday Access

Alumni who wish to consult materials in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center and in most school and departmental libraries on weekends and on holidays may do so upon presentation of a valid Penn Alumni Card. These cards are issued at the PennCard Center at Suite 150 Franklin Building, 3451 Walnut Street. Applications may also be made by mail. To check on dates and times when the Center is open call (215) 898-2646. Alumni Relations charges $20 for the card, which is valid for 10 years. Alumni should understand that this card allows access to Van Pelt-Dietrich and is not transferable. It is also valid in most, but not all, departmental and school libraries. When planning a visit to any of the libraries it is advisable to check individual library Access Policies.

Alumni Courtesy Borrowing Services

Alumni who want to borrow materials from the Library's collections may apply for courtesy borrowing privileges at the special alumni rate of $200.00 per year. The Penn Alumni Card must be presented upon application for courtesy borrowing privileges.

Application for courtesy borrowing should be made Monday through Friday to the Van Pelt Circulation Department. Call (215) 898-7566 for more information.

Library Services not Available to Alumni
Due to licensing agreements and contracts, many of the library's electronic resources are available only to currently affiliated Penn faculty, staff, and students. These include the journal citation indexes and remote time-sharing datafiles. Alumni may use the Library's compact disc databases. Interlibrary loan services are not available to alumni through the Penn Library; readers should consult their primary local public or company library for these services. In order to provide adequate access and support for research and study the use of the Library's Computer Labs is restricted to Penn faculty, staff and currently enrolled students.
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