PA Photos and Documents

What is PA Photos and Documents (PaPD)?

• In cooperation with other Pennsylvania agencies, the Office of Commonwealth Libraries is working toward universal access to digitized Pennsylvania historical materials
• PaPD enables the storage and retrieval of digitized collections created by libraries and other organizations throughout Pennsylvania
• The primary focus of PaPD is historic, cultural, and other collections of interest to the citizens of Pennsylvania
• PaPD utilizes the Islandora open source platform to provide access to its collections, and is considered a “work in progress” as additional collections are added and new access points are created

• Please note:  This FAQ is intended for public users of the service.  PaPD Collection Managers should contact the HSLC Digitization Specialist (njoniec@hslc.org) for all assistance requests.

How can the collection be accessed?

• Access to the collection is available for free, without the need for a library card or other form of authentication
• The primary access point for the repository is through the POWER Library PaPD Discovery page:
  • https://powerlibrary.org/collections/
    • The site can also be reached by visiting https://powerlibrary.org/ and clicking on the PA Photos & Documents link in the header

How can my organization participate?

• Participation in this program is open to institutions that participate in POWER Library or who partner with an institution that participates in POWER Library
• If you have questions about participation or are interesting in learning more about the program, please contact the HSLC Digitization Specialist (njoniec@hslc.org)
• For complete information on participating, please visit: https://powerlibrary.org/librarians/pa-photos-and-documents/participation