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The Amherst College Archives and Special Collections is open to the public and welcomes all researchers. We are committed to providing a safe and respectful working environment for researchers and staff while ensuring the fullest possible access to our resources.
Read more about the commitment to professional ethics and values.
Read more about the Library’s acceptable behavior policy.
What are your hours and location? What about parking?
Hours
The Archives and Special Collections is open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., year round. See detailed list of hours and holidays. Please contact us in advance of your visit so that we can discuss your research interests.
Archives and Special Collections is closed between Christmas and New Year's. Archives and Special Collections is also closed the Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday after Reunions weekend.
Any additional closures or revised hours will be posted on the Library’s calendar and on the Archives & Special Collections website.
Location
The Archives and Special Collections is located in the Robert Frost Library on the main campus quadrangle. The reading room, College History Room and exhibition area are located on A-level, at the base of the main lobby stairway. (Campus map and other information for planning a visit.)
Elevators to A-level are located on your left as you enter the building, near the circulation desk.
Parking
Accessible Parking
Visitors to campus with any official state-issued Handicapped placards are permitted to park in any marked handicapped spot on campus without obtaining any additional permits from Amherst College.
Other Visitor Parking
Between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., parking on the Amherst College campus is restricted. During these hours, guests (including members of the general public who are attending events), as well as Five College students, are asked to park in town. Visitors who wish to park on campus may request permission from the Amherst College Police or from a College department.
Between the hours of 4:30 p.m. and 2:00 a.m., visitors may park in any valid space on the campus without a permit.
For more information, contact Amherst College Police, (413) 542-2291.
What is and is not allowed in the Reading Room?
Readers are responsible for safeguarding all materials made available for use. Eating, drinking, and smoking are not permitted. Only approved writing materials (pencils or personal computers) may be used for taking notes while using material from the collection. When requesting copies, page selections must be indicated by inserting flags (archival paper markers), which are available at the desk. Copy request forms must also be completed and signed.
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What are the Reading Room procedures?
All researchers must check in at the reference desk when they arrive for each visit.
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Researchers are required to complete a user registration form and are required to show a valid photo ID once a year (upon your initial visit).
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Archives and Special Collections materials are noncirculating. Stack areas are open to staff only. Materials are retrieved upon request. Material will not be retrieved after 3:30 p.m.
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Lockers are available to store personal belongings.
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Use of pens is not permitted. Pencils, laptop computers, tablets and smartphones are allowed in the Reading Room.
Please review our more detailed policies of Access and Use. These policies are designed to protect and preserve the collections. Your commitment to abiding by these rules helps ensure the longevity of our rare and fragile archival material.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to discuss these with our professional staff.
How do I find and request material?
Rare Books
Our rare book holdings can be found via the Library Catalog. The Five Colleges “advanced search” allows researchers to limit to material located only in Archives and Special Collections at Amherst College (via drop-down menu).
College Archives and Manuscript Collections
Guides to the college archives and manuscript collections are accessible through our full-text searchable database. Contact archives staff for further information on any of the collections.
Off-site Material
Some materials may be held off-site. Contact us ahead of your research visit for further information: archives@amherst.edu.