Access to the College Green area of campus will be restricted until further notice. Current students, faculty and staff with a valid Penn card may enter and exit Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center through the Rosengarten Undergraduate Study Center on the ground floor, and may enter and exit the Fisher Fine Arts Library through the 34th Street entrance to Meyerson Hall

During reading period, April 30 to May 14: Access to both Van Pelt and Fisher Fine Arts Library is limited. Find more information.

Fisher Fine Arts Library Rare Book Room

The Fisher Fine Arts Library's rare books room, formally called the Perkins Rare Books Library, is a collection of monuments of architectural publishing.

Two shelves filled with rare books.

About the Fisher Fine Arts Library Rare Book Room

It holds approximately three thousand rare books as well as drawings and historic maps. The original collection was established in 1965 by G. Holmes Perkins who served as Dean of Penn's Graduate School of Fine Arts (as it was known then) from 1951 to 1971.

Collection materials may be requested using a Special Collections Research Account. After creating an account, you may request materials directly from our catalog.

After receiving your request, a staff member will contact you to schedule an appointment. Please wait for confirmation before visiting the reading room.

Where to print, copy, scan

Accordion List

up to 10, depending on class need

No food or drink is allowed when viewing our special collections.