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Welcome

Welcome to the State Library of Pennsylvania.

Hours:

Tuesday and Thursday 10am to 4pm

Wednesday 10am to 8pm

Reference and Research

If you have a question related to law, email ra-law@pa.gov or call 717-787-3273.

Appointments encouraged by emailing ra-reflib@pa.gov to have items pulled or talk to a librarian

Commonwealth employees may access online collections at any time with your library card.

History of PA State Library

History

The State Library of Pennsylvania has been collecting law materials ever since it started in 1745. As the clerk for the General Assembly, Benjamin Franklin was given the commission to acquire law and other reference books to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

This collection contains primarily law books, but also includes dictionaries, books on architecture, philosophy, history and religion. It can still be viewed at the General Assembly Collection in the State Library Rare Collections Library.

Collection Highlights

Pennsylvania Bulletin by Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau
Call Number: Law periodicals
Publication Date: 1970-
"The Pennsylvania bulletin is the official gazette of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It contains notices, regulations and other documents filed with the Legislative Reference Bureau and supplements the Pennsylvania code." It is available online and in paper from 1970 to present.
Purdon's Pennsylvania statutes, annotated by Purdon, John, West Group, George T. Bisel Company, and West Publishing Company.
Call Number: KFP30 1930.A44
Annotated statutes of Pennsylvania, kept up to date by pocket parts, supplementary pamphlets, interim annotation service, bound supplements, Purdon's Pennsylvania legislative service, and revised volumes. Includes unnumbered Constitution, Tables, and General index volumes
Pennsylvania Manual
Call Number: Forum Room 116 - PA Documents PGS 1.17/4:1927-
Publication Date: 1927-
A directory of the government of Pennsylvania including the three branches of government with short bios for governmental officials. The latest edition is online, with earlier editions in paper, including the predecessor to the manual, Smull's Legislative Handbook.
Pennsylvania law encyclopedia : based on Pennsylvania statutes; case law, State and Federal; attorney general opinions and law reviews by George T. Bisel Company, and West Publishing Company.
Call Number: KFP65 .P4
Publication Date: c1957-
This indispensable resource discusses the basic elements of virtually every subject area pertinent to the practice of law in Pennsylvania. For each major issue discussed, Pennsylvania Law Encyclopedia provides black letter law summaries that precede more in-depth analyses of case law, statutes, and rules, with proper citations to other authority. Concise yet comprehensive, Pennsylvania Law Encyclopedia presents Pennsylvania laws and their exceptions, qualifications, limitations, and extensions.

Pennsylvania Manual
Latest edition of the Pennsylvania Manual, sometimes called the Government Blue Book, other printed editions available at the State Library
Westlaw - Remote Access
Westlaw is a legal database available for use in the building of the State Library.
HEINOnline
Remote Access available to State Employees: HeinOnline is a premier online database containing more than 183 million pages and 283,000 titles of historical and government documents in a fully searchable, image-based format. HeinOnline bridges an important research gap by providing comprehensive coverage from inception of more than 2,800 law-related periodicals. In addition to its vast collection of academic journals, HeinOnline contains the entire Congressional Record, Federal Register, and Code of Federal Regulations, complete coverage of the U.S. Reports back to 1754, and entire databases dedicated to treaties, constitutions, case law, world trials, classic treatises, international trade, foreign relations, U.S. Presidents, and much more.

General Assembly Collection
As the Clerk of the General Assembly, Ben Franklin was commissioned to buy law and other reference materials for the representatives. Contact mlear@pa.gov for more about this collection.

What can the State Library staff do for you?

The staff of the State Library of Pennsylvania welcomes the opportunity to assist you in your legal research but cannot conduct research for you, give legal advice or do anything which might constitute the unauthorized practice of law. The law librarians are professional researchers, not attorneys, and information provided by the staff is not a substitute for legal advice. If you need legal advice, we recommend you contact a licensed attorney.

Law library staff can	Law library staff cannot
explain how to use legal resources, and answer questions regarding the Library and its collection. Do you have any books on ….? How do I find things in Pennsylvania Jurisprudence?	perform research on behalf of a patron in response to a legal question or in response to a request for legal advice. Should I create a trust for my family? How can I create a Limited Liability Company?
help you locate a particular statute or case when you have a specific reference or citation. I need a specific case from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Can you give me the PA Code as it appeared in 1971?	interpret the meaning of statutes, cases or regulations, or how it might impact a particular situation or case. What does this statute mean? If I evict a tenant, what can they sue me for?
assist in locating printed or online legal resources within the collection such as Westlaw, HEINOnline, statutes and form books. How can I search for law review articles on a particular subject? Where are the form books concerning corporations?	offer advice on any legal procedure, court rule, or jurisdictional question. How can I start a class action? I want to pursue a shared parenting agreement. Can I do that even if I have a few misdemeanors? Where would be a good place to file a case? What are my odds if I take this to court?
refer you to appropriate agencies or suggest lawyer referral resources. Can you give me the phone number for the Attorney General’s Office? I can’t afford an attorney. Which organization can I contact for legal aid?	choose statutes, cases, regulations or lawyers for your situation. My ex wants more child support; are there cases out there to support my side of the story? Somebody’s been squatting on some vacant land I own; is there a statute I can use to evict them? Which lawyer should I go to?
e-mail, photocopy or mail limited print resources when requested by specific citation, restricted by copyright law.	choose specific forms, language to use in forms, or assist in filling out any form. Can you help me with this form? I don’t know any of those big legal words. tell you how to file a document, what document to file, or how to proceed with court actions. How do I get my document filed in Chester County? Somebody sued me; what do I do now?

Law library staff can

Law library staff cannot

explain how to use legal resources, and answer questions regarding the Library and its collection.

Do you have any books on ….?
How do I find things in Pennsylvania Jurisprudence?

perform research on behalf of a patron in response to a legal question or in response to a request for legal advice.

Should I create a trust for my family?

How can I create a Limited Liability Company?

help you locate a particular statute or case when you have a specific reference or citation.

I need a specific case from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
Can you give me the PA Code as it appeared in 1971?

interpret the meaning of statutes, cases or regulations, or how it might impact a particular situation or case.

What does this statute mean?
If I evict a tenant, what can they sue me for?

assist in locating printed or online legal resources within the collection such as Westlaw, HEINOnline, statutes and form books.

How can I search for law review articles on a particular subject?
Where are the form books concerning corporations?

offer advice on any legal procedure, court rule, or jurisdictional question.

How can I start a class action?
I want to pursue a shared parenting agreement. Can I do that even if I have a few misdemeanors?
Where would be a good place to file a case?
What are my odds if I take this to court?

refer you to appropriate agencies or suggest lawyer referral resources.

Can you give me the phone number for the Attorney General’s Office?
I can’t afford an attorney. Which organization can I contact for legal aid?

choose statutes, cases, regulations or lawyers for your situation.

My ex wants more child support; are there cases out there to support my side of the story?
Somebody’s been squatting on some vacant land I own; is there a statute I can use to evict them?
Which lawyer should I go to?

e-mail, photocopy or mail limited print resources when requested by specific citation, restricted by copyright law.

choose specific forms, language to use in forms, or assist in filling out any form.

Can you help me with this form? I don’t know any of those big legal words.

tell you how to file a document, what document to file, or how to proceed with court actions.

How do I get my document filed in Chester County?
Somebody sued me; what do I do now?

These guidelines were adapted from the Supreme Court of Ohio Law Library.