The Library Company of Philadelphia's rare collections

The Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1731, is an independent research library that houses rare books, manuscripts, prints, and maps important to American history. Located at 1314 Locust Street, the library's special collections include early American imprints, Revolutionary-era materials, and extensive manuscript holdings used by scholars by appointment. Its reading rooms and archival stacks are not a typical tourist stop, making the library a quieter, specialized cultural resource in the city. The Library Company also mounts exhibitions and public programs drawn from its collections.