The State Library of Pennsylvania began as a social library for the senators and representatives of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Its collection of materials started on December 5, 1875, after the Pennsylvania General Assembly asked Benjamin Franklin to obtain a copy of "Statutes at Large" and reference maps. Within the next decade, the assembly spent over £1,000 on “legal materials as well as history, geography, philosophy, and science”. For several years, the Pennsylvania House and Senate did not consult each other when gathering materials for the library. Therefore, on February 28, 1816, Governor Simon Snyder signed the “Act to Provide for the Better Preservation and Increase of the Library of This Commonwealth”, which consolidated collections, provided a budget for obtaining materials, and allowed for the appointment of a librarian.