The Library and Its Collections

The Library of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia was formed in 1821 at the second meeting of the Board of Trustees. Since its beginnings the Library has been considered one of the premier collections of pharmaceutical science in the country. In 1973, the Library moved into its present quarters, the free-standing Joseph W. England Library.

Small but specialized, the collection is particularly strong in pharmacy, pharmacognosy,pharmaceutics, and foreign drug compendia. Other areas of specialization include toxicology, pharmacology, and physical therapy. Our online catalog can be accessed from a quick-jump menu on the library's home page, or directly here.

Contained in the Leopold Helfand Rare Book and Archives Room is a collection of seventeenth and eighteenth century botanicals, including a book once owned by Isaac Newton. Since the University and its graduates were fundamental to the building of the United States pharmaceutical industry, the University Archives are of interest to anyone researching the origins of the pharmaceutical industry.