Blog Post #1
Founded in 1824 and located on 1300 Locust St. in Philadelphia, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) is one of the largest libraries in the United States. With collections of materials dating back to the 16th century, HSP has been a product and producer of major historical events. Its building first owned by a private art collector developed into a gentlemen’s club and is now an institution with education programs and a research library, garnering visitors worldwide. Visitors are allowed entry to the HSP library Tuesday through Friday (Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Wednesday: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.) with a $10 general admission fee. However, admission is free for HSP members, students, or members with military ID.
Due to the sensitivity of the library’s materials, HSP visitors should expect to follow strict policies where bags, jackets, pens, food, drinks, and cell phone usage are restricted to prevent permanent damage and to ensure the best research experience. Additionally, HSP researchers are expected to follow extensive policies regarding the use of the library’s collection. HSP does not offer photocopying or printing services but allows patrons to take their photographs without flash. Possession of personal pictures of the collection does not grant permission to publish images because HSP does not own the copyright to every object in the collection. Thus, the results of reproducing images are case-by-case and can be followed up with HSP’s rights and reproduction team (rnr@hsp.org) before publishing.
The types of materials in HSP’s collections range from books to printed ephemera (events programs, brochures, etc.). In order to find specific materials, researchers utilize digital tools such as Discover, an online catalog with information about HSP’s collections. Although most materials are in the catalog, it is not actively maintained and can have inaccurate information. There are finding aids linked in the collection record of Discover but if unavailable, HSP has their own list of finding aids and a special research tool, the Balch Manuscript Guide, which has links to other finding aids. If researchers need assistance using or tracking finding aids, they can ask a Reference Librarian.
Other HSP digital tools:
HSP’s Digital Library
Patron Access Link (PAL): provides links to all HSP online catalogs, genealogy databases and all subscription-based sites including Ancestry.com Institution Edition, and JSTOR.
I selected this particular archive because of my previous experience at the New York Historical Society where in my university course, we examined the impact of card catalogs on memory and monument building of historical events. Despite this reason, I found no strong connection to the HSP’s emphasis on genealogical material and non-governmental repositories of documentary materials. However, I learned that HSP has played a significant role in preserving selected topics of Pennsylvania’s history through initiatives like the 1876 Continental Exhibition, the William Penn Papers project, and the Biographical Dictionary of Early Pennsylvania Legislators project. I also found it important to note that the repository’s latest projects focusing on slavery and abolition aim to collect histories previously restricted by HSP.
