Pennsylvania's collection of invaluable and irreplaceable books and periodicals will be better protected for future generations now that the State Library is able to store them in a newly designed, high-tech rare collections library.

"Pennsylvania has played a fundamental role in the birth and development of our nation, a role that has left us with a wealth of history," Governor Edward Rendell said. "We are fortunate to have not only the opportunity to collect the very documents that have recorded our past, but also the responsibility to protect and preserve them to guide future generations."

The Pennsylvania State Library started planning the $6.6 million rare collections library in 2001 and its construction began two years later. The new facility is able to preserve the historic collections through state-of-the-art environmental control systems. Temperature and humidity are regulated specific to vault locations, while the materials are protected from harmful air matter and gases by specially-designed filtration systems. The collection is also protected by special computer-controlled fire detection and suppression systems.

The rare collections library's estimated 10,000 volumes hold priceless materials tracing Pennsylvania's history, including:

• Books and pamphlets published in Pennsylvania from 1685 to 1845, including those from Benjamin Franklin's press
• Early newspapers, including the publication of Franklin's scientific experiments; and
• The 422-volume General Assembly Collection, which includes English Common Law.

"That we have maintained this collection of books and materials for 12 generations is a remarkable accomplishment," said Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak. "But more importantly, we are going to be able to conserve the entire collection for generations to come."

KW