Reading period access: From May 1 to May 13, access to the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center and the Fisher Fine Arts Library will be limited to PennCard holders and other Penn affiliates. Find more information.

Penn Libraries’ collections reflect the dynamism of migrations, movements, transnational communities, and multifaceted identities within our increasingly interconnected world. Blurring the boundaries of geopolitical borders, we strive to highlight diasporic groups, peoples from liminal regions, and multi-cultural exchange. Materials such as global Judaica, postcards from the Indo-Caribbean, Kurdish storytelling, and documents from imperial Japan, for instance, underscore the transnational complexities of the modern age. Documenting and preserving complex histories contributes to richer, more representative research and learning at Penn.  

Anchor Collections

Image of Winkfield, Female American (Vermont 1814), Schimmel Fiction 4974.jpg

Caroline F. Schimmel Collection of Women in the American Wilderness

The Caroline F. Schimmel Collection of Women in the American Wilderness comprises over 6,000 works by women writers, including novels, short stories, poetry, works by Native American authors, travel writings, narratives of polar expeditions, captivity narratives, and works for children.

Original artwork by Ashley Bryan displayed on a table

Ashley Bryan Archive

Renowned artist, writer, storyteller, children's book creator, and humanitarian Ashley Bryan created thousands of drawings, paintings, collages, and linoleum block prints over the course of his long and productive life.

Comics on bookshelf.

East Asia Comics Collection

The East Asia Comics Collection embodies the Libraries’ strategic priorities to collect and preserve global voices, and to make accessible materials related to borders and belonging. 

Maps and More

Campus Libraries Map

Staff Information

Resources for Staff Committees