Dean's Administrative Office

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

Since 1859 when Penn State began offering its first classes, the Libraries have supported students.  Our first 1,500 books were housed in the original Old Main.  By 1904, steel magnate Andrew Carnegie had built the Carnegie Library to house more than 50,000 books.  Today, our collections have grown to more than 5.3 million books, 88,000 serials, 536 databases, and more than 100,000 e-books. 

A library is more than a collection of books. In fact, the library of tomorrow has to be much more. The library has always been the cornerstone of a college education, but today it's no longer entirely about books and journals—it's also about electronic data, and the equipment and resources to manage it. The University Libraries have already distinguished themselves, becoming a national leader in making the new electronic forms of information available to our users.

Whether you are beginning or continuing your academic endeavors, I urge you to take full advantage of the Libraries' instructional opportunities, traditional and online collections, and services.  We are your primary source for traditional materials (books, journals, newspapers, microforms); for digital resources; and for multimedia resources--all available through The CAT, the online catalog.  Our librarians and staff are here to help you get the most out of these outstanding collections, online services, and instructional programs.  Visit us often and ask questions--see for yourself that the Libraries can play a major role in your educational journey and show you amazing worlds of information and scholarship. 

We are committed to maintaining Penn state's status as one of America's foremost research universities. We are also committed to the public, making our collections accessible to hundreds of residents in communities throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.

Nancy L. Eaton, Dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications

Dean's Biographical Summary

Dean's Administrative Office
The Pennsylvania State University
University Libraries
510 Paterno Library
University Park, PA  16802-1812
814-865-0401
814-865-3665 (fax)