With roots extending back to the founding of the Society in 1743, the Library of the American Philosophical Society houses over thirteen million manuscripts, 350,000 volumes and bound periodicals, 250,000 images, and thousands of hours of audio tape. The Library's holdings make it among the premier institutions for documenting the history of the American Revolution and Founding, the study of natural history in the 18th and 19th centuries, the study of evolution and genetics, quantum mechanics, and the development of cultural anthropology, among others.
Notable manuscript collections include the papers of Benjamin Franklin, the Journals of Lewis and Clark, a large corpus of Charles Darwin correspondence and printed material, the records of pioneering anthropologists , the holdings of the Eugenics Records Office, and the papers of seven Nobel Laureates.
Among the many extraordinary books are first editions of Sir Isaac Newton's Principia, Charles Darwin's Origin of Species, a presentation copy of Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia, the elephant folio of Audubon's Birds of North America (for which the APS was an original subscriber), as well as a majority of Benjamin Franklin imprints and a significant portion of Franklin's personal library.
APS Library
105 South Fifth Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3386
Phone: 215-440-3400
The Reading Room is open by appointment only from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday-Friday, except holidays and occasional staff events. In the event of inclement weather, the APS Library will close when Philadelphia public schools are closed.
The Library is open to all researchers who demonstrate a need to use the unique resources under its care. Upon arrival, prospective readers will be asked to complete registration, providing their name, current address, institutional affiliation (if any), and two forms of identification, at least one with a photograph. Researchers may also complete registration for an AEON account before they arrive onsite.
All visitors to the Reading Room must make an appointment through [email protected].
The Library hosts conferences, workshops, lunchtime talks, and other events throughout the year for neighborhood institutions, Friends of the APS, fellows, and staff.
"Empire and its Discontent, 1763-1773" December 1-2, 2023
"Women in Science: Opportunities" October 6, 2023
"Women in Science: Achievements and Barriers" June 8-9, 2023
"A Life in Letters: A Celebration of Dr. Barbara Oberg" June 7, 2023
"Living with Climate Change: Perspectives from the Humanities and Beyond," September 29-30, 2022
"Open Data: Reuse, Redistribution, and Risk," June 2-3, 2022
"Meanings of Independence," October 21-22, 2021
"Relationships, Reciprocity, and Responsibilities: Indigenous Studies in Archives and Beyond," September 21-25, 2020
"The Power of Maps and the Politics of Borders," October 10-12, 2019
"Networks: The Creation and Circulation of Knowledge from Franklin to Facebook," June 6-7, 2019
"The Past, Present, and Future of Libraries," September 27-29, 2018
"The Spirit of Inquiry in the Age of Jefferson," June 7-8, 2018
"The Art of Revolutions," October 26-28, 2017
Accepting Proposals through September 29, 2023
David Center for the American Revolution Seminar
Lunch at the Library
2023
May 31: Ricardo Herrera, Department of National Security and Strategy, US Army War College, "Feeding Washington's Army: Surviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778" - Recording of Event
April 13: Susan Brandt, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, "Putting Science to Work: Healers and the Pursuit of Useful Medical Knowledge in Early Philadelphia" - Recording of Event
March 15: Rebecca Cypess, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, "Music and Friendship in Benjamin Franklin's Paris: The Brillion Manuscripts at the American Philosophical Society" - Recording of Event
February 23: Gregory Nobles, Georgia Institute of Technology, "The Education of Betsy Stockton: An Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom" - Recording of Event
February 1: Ed Gray, APS NEH Sabbatical Fellow, American Philosophical Society, "Benjamin Franklin's Money: A Financial Life of the First American" - Recording of Event
2022
September 16: Warren Hofstra, Shenandoah University; Mohammad Obeid, Shenandoah University; Kevin Hardwich, James Madison University; and JJ Ruscella, EVP at AccessVR, "Electing the President: The Debates on the Electoral College at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Virtual Reality"
February 17: Phil Mead, Museum of the American Revolution, "Considering the 250th at the Museum of the American Revolution."
2020
June 24: Bethany Farrell, Digital Franklin Research Fellow, American Philosophical Society, "The Art of Making Data for Every Scholar’s Pocket: Opening Benjamin Franklin’s Account Books"
March 11: Audra Wolfe, Philadelphia-based writer, editor, and historian, "Freedom's Laboratory: The Cold War Struggle for the Soul of Science"
February 12: Larry Tise, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "The First American Coloring Book(s): Theodore de Bry's Illustrated America, 1590-1602"
January 15: Kristen Regina, Arcadia Director of the Library and Archives at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, "Evolving the Library and Archives"
The APS Library publishes The Mendel Newsletter to report on archival sources for the history of genetics and allied sciences. Issues are available for free and can be found through the link to the right.