Rare Book Department
| Sunday, 5/28 | Closed |
| Monday, 5/29 |
Closed * |
| Tuesday, 5/30 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday, 5/31 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, 6/1 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Friday, 6/2 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday, 6/3 | Closed |
- * Monday had hour changes – Memorial Day
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
Upcoming Closures
- Mon., Jun. 19 : Closed Juneteenth
- Tue., Jul. 4 : Closed Independence Day
- Mon., Sep. 4 : Closed Labor Day
- Mon., Oct. 9 : Closed Indigenous Peoples' Day
Upcoming Events
“Mapping Imagination” Curator-Led Exhibition Tour
The Free Library’s newest exhibition, Mapping Imagination: The Art of World-Building explores the creative and artistic choices that mapmakers use to build worlds and enhance storytelling.…
“Mapping Imagination” Curator-Led Exhibition Tour
The Free Library’s newest exhibition, Mapping Imagination: The Art of World-Building explores the creative and artistic choices that mapmakers use to build worlds and enhance storytelling.…
“Mapping Imagination” Curator-Led Exhibition Tour
The Free Library’s newest exhibition, Mapping Imagination: The Art of World-Building explores the creative and artistic choices that mapmakers use to build worlds and enhance storytelling.…
“Mapping Imagination” Curator-Led Exhibition Tour
The Free Library’s newest exhibition, Mapping Imagination: The Art of World-Building explores the creative and artistic choices that mapmakers use to build worlds and enhance storytelling.…
Alert: The Rare Book Department will be closed to the public Wednesday, April 26, 2023 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. We will resume regular hours of operation, Thursday, April 27,2023.
Hours of Operation
The Rare Book Department is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Who We Are and What We Do
The Rare Book Department offers free access to exhibitions of historically important books, manuscripts, and works of art from 3,000 BCE to today. Among its collections are thousands of illuminated medieval manuscripts and cuttings; first editions, letters, and manuscripts of important writers, including some of the largest collections of Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe; nearly 50,000 early American children's books; original artwork by Beatrix Potter and other illustrators; Mughal court paintings; and Pennsylvania German fraktur, manuscripts, and printed books. Many, but not all, of the Rare Book Department's holdings have been cataloged or inventoried, but please feel free to contact us for more information about our holdings.
Group visits and educational programs are available by prior arrangement and researchers are invited to make an appointment to use collection materials. Guided tours of the department and the William McIntire Elkins Library are offered Monday through Saturday at 11:00 a.m. with no appointment necessary. For our friends on social media, highlights from our collections are regularly posted to our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts. We also have a podcast series, Story Search from Special Collections, available on Anchor or Spotify, with accompanying booklists. We welcome all researchers, by prior appointment, and encourage you to learn more about what you can expect on our Visit page. We love when people use our collections but we ask you contact us for any published use; the Rare Book Department doesn't charge reproduction or use fees, we just want to provide high-resolution images and proper citations where possible.
You can reach the Rare Book Department at 215-686-5416 or by email, or check out some of our most frequently asked questions.