Books, Literature, Readers Advisory, and More
This database has biographies on more than 120,000 writers. State-funded.
Explore world literature and writers throughout history (ancient to current) with a wealth of literary works, including poems, short stories, speeches, and plays — with plot summaries, what the writing means, pictures, and stories about the authors. State-funded.
Includes book recommendations, reviews, articles, lists and reading recommendations for both fiction and non-fiction – for all ages. Library-funded.
This service allows you to sign up to receive email notifications when new materials in your preferred genres, by your favorite authors, or on topics of interest to you are added to our collection. Library-funded.
This online annotated bibliography includes all known fiction with a significant geographical setting in any of Pennsylvania’s 26 westernmost counties published between 1792 and 2022 – more than 1,500 works.
Digital eBook Collections
Enjoy the stories you love wherever you are! Find ebooks, audiobooks, magazines & more that you can download directly to your phone, tablet or computer.
Print Collections
Library users have access to over one-million items from the SPL collection and libraries throughout Allegheny County. Search the Library Catalog to find items right here at SPL, or select items from other libraries and we will have them shipped here to SPL for you to pick up.