1750 Library receives donation of books from famed cartographer Louis Evans

1762-04 First Provost William Smith travels to England to raise money for the library · First list of collections

1781 Visit of Chastellux, Lafayette

1784 Louis XVI gives 100 volumes

1820-23 Manuscript catalog

1829 First printed catalog (1649 books)

1832 (19 books added) 1670 volumes

1872 Penn moves to West Philadelphia · Library in College Hall

1884 Dictionary catalog · James Barnwell appointed director

1891 Furness Library opens with 55,000 volumes

1914 Dental Library

1924 Lea Library

1927 Lippincott Library

1931 Medicine Library

c. 1945 One million volumes

1962 Van Pelt Library

1967 Dietrich Graduate Library

1969 Biomedical Library in Johnson Pavilion

1972 Automated circulation system. Cataloging in OCLC

1973 Library Data Services established

1981 Three million volumes

1985 Online catalog

1989 One millionth online catalog entry

1990 Furness Building restored (Fisher Library)

1993 Four million books. Two million catalog records.

1994 Access 2000: Penn Digital Library

1995 Penn Library on the Web. Van Pelt-Dietrich Renovation begins (complete in 1997).

1996 Lippincott Library renovation complete.

1997-98 Online catalog & Library databases on the Web · High Density Storage opens.

1999 Library Advisors program of 21st Century College Houses Project

2000 Library's 250th anniversary