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Butler Assistive Technology Room

Today's Hours:

8:30am - 9pm | Library Hours

The Butler Assistive Technologies Room is a welcoming and inclusive space designed to support accessible, collaborative, and flexible learning. 

The room is open to all Penn students, faculty, and staff for individual study, group work, and the use of assistive technologies, including screen readers, speech-to-text tools, screen magnifiers, OCR/PDF accessibility tools, and adaptive hardware.

Small office with two desks and chairs.

Using the Room 

The Butler Assistive Technology Room is located on the ground floor of the Van Pelt–Dietrich Library Center, near the ADA-accessible entrance and elevators. 

A passcode is  required to access the room. After confirming your reservation, you will receive the passcode for the room in your  LibCal  confirmation email.  

Butler Assistive Technology Room Reservations

Make an Individual Reservations 

  • Individual reservations may be scheduled for up to four 30-minute sessions per day 

Make a Longer or Recurrent Reservations 

We will consider special requests for recurring bookings. If you require a longer reservation or would like to request recurrent bookings, please contact us directly via wic1@pobox.upenn.edu.

 Using the Room without a Reservation

On weekdays, the room is also available to people who need an immediate, low-stimulaton space. For access, visit the Student Assistant Desk in the Weigle Information Commons on the first floor during work hours (typically 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM). If the Butler Room is unavailable, we encourage you to explore the Meditation and Relaxation Spaces as an alternative.  

Butler Assistive Technology Room Manual

Where to print, copy, scan

  • 2 soft seating areas
  • 2 height-adjustable workstations

  • Whiteboard
  • iMac
  • PC desktop
  • Speakers
  • Optelec Video Magnifier
  • USB Microphone

To ensure the space remains welcoming, accessible, and responsive to community needs. 

  • Weigle Information Commons (WIC) – Provides student support and technology assistance. For in-person help, visit the Student Assistant Desk on the first floor of Van Pelt Library (Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM).
  • Weingarten Center for Disability and Learning Resources – Supports accessibility-focused services and inclusive learning initiatives. Weingarten staff occasionally hold drop-in sessions in the Butler Assistive Technologies Room to provide guidance on assistive technologies and learning support.

The Butler Room was made possible by the generous donation of Christopher, C'84 & Elizabeth Butler and is a collaboration between the Weigle Information Commons and the Weingarten Learning Resources Center (VPUL). 

The Butler Room is designed to facilitate and enhance learning. Our project strives to explore universal design for learning to consider and appreciate the broad spectrum of human ability and draws inspiration from the following universities and organizations including:

  • Accessibility refers to design that considers the inclusion of people with disabilities and is a broad term that includes a wide range of aspects, including environments, services, and technologies.
  • Assistive technology provides information technology access by enabling people with disabilities to utilize computers, software, and other equipment independently. 

Frequently Asked Questions

The room is open to all Penn students, faculty, and staff. While the space is designed with accessibility in mind, everyone in the Penn community is welcome to use it for individual study, group work, or accessing assistive technologies.

At this time, we are not able to accommodate same-day reservations. We recommend checking the LibCal reservation calendar to plan future visits.

If you have a reservation, you will receive the access passcode in your confirmation email. If the room is currently in use or locked and you do not have a reservation, please avoid interrupting current users. We encourage you to explore nearby library study spaces that may be available at that time.

To maintain the equipment and create a comfortable environment for all users, we ask that you follow the Libraries' general food and drink policies. Covered drinks are typically allowed, but please be mindful of the technology and other users in the space. 

If you have an accessibility-related need or need help accessing the room, library staff are happy to assist. On weekdays, in-person support is available at the Student Assistant Desk in the Weigle Information Commons. You can also speak to library staff at the information desk on the first floor or contact us virtually.

Reservations

After the room manager has confirmed your reservation, you'll be given the code for the combination lock.

Make a Reservation

Accessibility

For Wheelchairs

  • Sufficient doorway & hallway clearance
  • Clearance to approach table

Lighting

  • Natural and/or non-fluorescent light

Nearby Bathrooms

  • Gender neutral bathrooms with a single accessible stall are located near the elevators on the ground floor (ground floor plan)
  • Men's and women's bathrooms, each with an accessible stall, are located near the 2nd floor east elevators (2nd floor plan)
  • Gender-neutral, accessible bathrooms are located on the third, fourth, and fifth floors east. They are in the elevator/stair block on the west side (see all Van Pelt-Dietrich floor plans).

Accessible Entrance

Accessible entrance on the ground floor. A brick walk leads from the north side of Levy Park to the accessible door. At the end of the walk are 2 doors. The accessible door is on the right.

Directions to the accessible entrance:   Word   |   PDF

Maps and More

Campus Libraries Map

Staff Information

Resources for Staff Committees