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Access PA Catalog

(Key Words:  Access PA; Books, Movie, and More; Interlibrary Loan)

• What is the Access PA Catalog
• Searching the Access PA Catalog
• Interlibrary Loan

What is the Access PA Catalog:

Search a single catalog reflecting the holdings of over 1,400 Pennsylvania libraries and their combined collections of over 40 million books, audio materials, reference materials, movies, and much more. All types of libraries participate, including:

• Public schools
• Private schools
• Public libraries
• College & university libraries
• Law libraries
• Medical & hospital libraries
• Museum libraries
• Historical & genealogical libraries

Libraries across Pennsylvania have collaborated to create this shared catalog of their collections by sending in holdings-reports to the POWER Library. PA libraries also lend materials to other libraries. If the item you are looking for is located at a library that is not close to you, contact your local library to ask about an "interlibrary" loan. Because libraries acquire new materials daily, listings are updated on a regular basis. Please note that most Pennsylvania libraries will not offer interlibrary loan on best-sellers or items publishing within the last 12 months.  If the patron did not find what they were looking for this time, advise them to check back again at a later time.

Library Users:  Please note, to place a request for an item in the Access PA catalog, you must contact your local library to place the request through Interlibrary Loan.  The Access PA catalog is intended to show item records and library holdings, but cannot be used to directly place a request.

Searching the Access PA Catalog (https://powerlibrary.org/catalog):

• To search the catalog, enter a title, author, or keyword into the search box and click Go! 
• On the results page, you can use the Search Filters on the right-side of the screen to limit the results by subject, format, date, and more.
• Once you locate the material you are looking for, click on the cover for more details.  If there are several items that match your search they likely represent differences in the way the item was cataloged.  For the best results, click on the cover that shows the greatest number of copies (the number of copies can be found next to the item’s format listing, in parentheses).
• When you are looking at the item’s record, scroll down to see the closest library location which has a copy.  You can click on a library’s name to find out their address and contact information.  If you are unsure of your local library, use the Find a PA Library feature located on the POWER Library Books, Movies, and More page (https://powerlibrary.org/catalog), where you can search for PA libraries by zip code.

As a reminder, you cannot place holds through the Access PA catalog.  If your local library owns a copy of the material, you will need to place a hold on it through their online catalog.  If they do not have a copy, you will need to request that item through Interlibrary Loan at your local library. 

Interlibrary Loan:

Interlibrary loan is a service which allows library patrons to request materials that their local library (or local library system) does not own.  The local library, then, sources the item from the Access PA catalog and places a request for it on the patron’s behalf—think of it as libraries lending to other libraries. 

Each library has its own set of interlibrary loan policies and procedures, and libraries themselves are the only ones who can initiate an interlibrary loan.  To find out more, contact your local library or check their website to see if information is available there.

To find your closest local library, use the Find a PA Library feature located on the POWER Library Books, Movies, and More page (https://powerlibrary.org/catalog), where you can search for PA libraries by zip code.