At the University of Pennsylvania, holdings relating to art and architecture may be found in the Anne and Jerome Fisher Fine Arts Library; the Architectural Archives of the University of Pennsylvania; the University Archives and Records Center; and in the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Both the Kislak Center and the Fisher Fine Arts Library hold substantial collections of artists' books, which are available for consultation by researchers, students, and classes.
The Gotham Book Mart was a vital bookstore in the New York literary scene from its creation in 1920 to its closing in 2006.
The Penn Libraries collects a variety of Japanese rare materials.
The Vilain-Wieck Collection comprises several thousand books produced by fine and private presses, mainly in America, from the nineteenth century up to the present.
Latin American artististic, political, and social movements have led to the creation of a variety of DIY handmade books from throughout the region. Notable examples include cartoneras from Argentina, "Vigías" from Cuba, and contemporary experiments with Indigenous papermaking practices in Mexico.
The Libraries work with select local bookstores to collect items that were were written or published locally, that represent the books marketed/sold to specific local communities, or that reflect the interests of local cooperative centers with goals aligned with those of the University.