About Us
The Special Collections Division enhances the educational mission of the Free Library of Philadelphia by assembling and making accessible historic materials, providing reliable and knowledgeable research services, and offering instructional programs that promote understanding of our shared cultural heritage. Many items in Special Collections are searchable in the public catalog, through Finding Aids, or in our Digital Collections. Please contact the collections for further details.
To view a printable version of this information, please click here.
The collection houses more than 85,000 non-circulating books published from 1837 to the present with an emphasis on juvenile books associated with the Pennsylvania region and archives of local children's authors and illustrators.
The Edwin A. Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music represents the largest lending library of orchestral performance material in the world. Additional music holdings include Sheet Music as well as two circulating collections, the Chamber Music Collection and the Drinker Collection of Choral Music.
With more than 130,000 current and historical maps the collection covers every part of the world. Its special emphasis on Philadelphia and Pennsylvania maps and atlases provides a fascinating view of the development of our region over the past 70 years.
The collection is home to fine art prints, photographs, drawings, and artists' books, as well as extensive research collections of Philadelphia images.
With a special focus on Philadelphia, the collection contains research materials on the history of American theatre, early film, and popular entertainment. Resources chronicle theatre locally, with playbills dating back to 1803.
We have digitized 51,397 items from our extensive collections and are constantly adding more.
The Rosenbach is a rare book library and museum that has been formally affiliated with the Free Library since 2013. Located near Parkway Central, it maintains world-class collections of rare books and manuscripts, as well as fine and decorative arts. Like all of the special collections at the Free Library, the Rosenbach offers tours, programs, exhibitions, and research.