Visitors are no longer required to participate in a bag check when exiting the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library.
In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn Libraries Associate Vice Provost for Organizational Impact and Effectiveness Joe Zucca attributed the decision to the importance of creating a safe environment that remains welcoming to visitors. The security change comes after the University first reevaluated the bag check policy in 2019.
“We want Library spaces to be as welcoming as they can possibly be, while ensuring the security of our collections and patrons,” Zucca wrote to the DP.
Zucca explained that Penn Libraries will “continually explore options” to achieve that balance, including the “current review of the bag check procedure.”
This is not the first time that the University reconsidered Van Pelt’s bag check mandate.
In 2019, then-Vice Provost and Director of Penn Libraries Constantia Constantinou announced that Van Pelt was preparing to abolish its “outdated” bag check policy. Eight months later, the library walked back its decision, citing the lack of a “viable alternative solution.”
The policy change comes after the University implemented heightened safety measures across campus in the wake of a deadly shooting at Brown University in December 2025. In the days following the shooting, Penn’s Division of Public Safety announced an “increased police presence on campus” that would “remain as long as needed.”
The incident also brought renewed attention to building access and security protocols at universities nationwide.
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Penn heightened its building security in recent years through the Operation Building Safe initiative, which requires security officers staff the main entrances of most academic buildings during hours of operation.
According to a DPS document from 2022, the OBS program is designed to allow buildings to be secured quickly by these officers in the event of an emergency.
“Our goal is to ensure all building occupants are safe and comfortable while working, studying, and researching,” the document read.
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Senior reporter Christine Oh leads coverage of student life and can be reached at oh@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies English and philosophy. Follow her on X @ChristineOh_.
