Van Pelt Library - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Matthew Tausch

I live in Grays Ferry, and I like to visit libraries to read on my days off. Van Pelt is a beautiful building and they usually allow visitors Mon-Fri. Last week I visited the Van Pelt Library and a young lady checked me in as a visitor. I showed my ID, signed their record sheet, and wore a name tag that said visitor. Spent a few hours reading in the amazing reading room. It was a lovely experience.

This week I returned and was greeted with a rude welcoming. When I entered there were 5 library security guards all sitting there and staring at their phones. I asked to visit and they said I wasn't allowed to and they had allowed no visitors for over a month (maybe due to the protests recently). I told them I visited last week and they started barking at me for the specific day. They then told me I never visited and was lying. (side note: why on earth would someone lie about this?). I asked her to check the log record and she asked for my name. When I said my name she pronounced it in a mocking way. I asked her why she did that and she said "I've never heard of you before." (why would she have heard of a visitor?). She proceeded to flip through the list as fast as she could and proclaimed I wasn't on any list and never visited. Insert rude eye rolls and comments from the other guards during this interaction.

Why would Penn, with such a large endowment, hire such a rude security staff for the library? These people, whether Penn likes it or not, represent the institution. As a member of the local community, I left this experience with the overwhelming feeling that Penn doesn't care about visitors whatsoever (which is their right, but then don't ever allow visitors).

Maybe this is more a negative review on the private security firm Penn uses. But my god these people were rude, accusatory, obnoxious, and seemed bothered to even have to look up from their phones.

Jeehoon Shin

공부하는데 최고의 환경을 제공하는 도서관입니다. 층마다 다양한 환경의 공부환경이 있어서 취향에 따라 선택할 수 있으며, 자리도 넉넉합니다.

Mimi B

Like the rest of Philly, everyone who works in this library visibly hates their job and has no desire to do it well. Penn is full of people who bought their way into the system and are incompetent, and those who really don’t give a hoot about anything and create chaos. It’s a very sad place.

Rochile

Visitors only allowed Monday to Friday before 6pm, need to give photo ID to be signed in, and wear a visitor badge sticker while inside. Also, all bags are opened and checked by security before leaving.

Good wifi/outlets/seating, quiet.

Anwar M Hossain

Van Pelt Library, officially known as the Charles Patterson Van Pelt Library, is the primary library of the University of Pennsylvania. Designed by the architectural firm Harbeson, Hough, Livingston & Larson, it was constructed in 1962 and stands as a central hub for student and faculty research. The library boasts an extensive collection of resources across various fields of study, including books, journals, manuscripts, and more. It’s also home to specialized services and spaces like the Weigle Information Commons and the Vitale Digital Media Lab, which support the university community with technology and collaborative workspaces. With its rich history and modern facilities, Van Pelt Library remains a cornerstone of academic life at Penn.

Flora Kuang

Not the only time I was treated rudely at the library being a student here... some staff at the circulation desk will need some more training to learn how to live up to the slogan of the library "It is your library." They clearly think this is their library.

D

One of the employees/security staff here is so rude, aggressive, and crazy! this person yelled loudly and rudely at students to drive them out of the library ... shocked, so mad
Not a home to study any more bc of this kind of persons

Anthoney Obasi

It was great to be back at my alma mater & specifically Van Pelt Library after over a year away due to COVID-19. Very nice & quiet during the period between the end of the Summer semester & the beginning of the Fall semester.