Archives & 
Special Collections

HOURS

 

The Archives and Special Collections Division of the Brooklyn College Library was established in 1950. It is committed to acquiring, preserving, and providing access to the records of enduring value that document the Brooklyn College community. The department collects both published and unpublished works relating to the unique cultural, social, and historical development of the Borough of Brooklyn and its many and varied neighborhoods.

Collection Policy

The Archives' records, files, and materials include a wide array of sources, such as reports, studies, memoranda, correspondence, newspapers, photographs, drawings, paintings, maps, atlases, audiotapes and videorecordings, and memorabilia. These materials document the growth and development of the institution and the students, faculty, and administrators associated with it. We rely upon the transfer of records from the college's academic and administrative departments and the direct donation of archival materials from alumni, faculty, and other private donors to build the collections.

Scope of Collections

The holdings of the Archives and Special Collections Department are divided into five distinct and unique collections. They include the Brooklyn College Archives, the Brooklyniana Collection, the Hess Collections, the Historical Manuscript Collection, and the Rare Book Collection.

Brooklyn College Archives

These collections contain the minutes, reports, and files of Brooklyn College's administrative offices and committees; the records of many academic departments; the collections of noted alumni and noted faculty; and student materials including newspapers, yearbooks, course bulletins, fraternity and sorority memorabilia, and student handbills.

Additionally, the archives hold the Booklyn College masters' theses from 1936 to the present, an extensive photographic and newspaper clippings collection, and an oral history collection documenting the early development and building of the college.

Brooklyniana Collection

Collections in this grouping document the evolution of the Borough of Brooklyn. Among them are the St. Francis College Local History Research Files; the Brooklyn Historical Photographic Collection; a collection of published community and country histories; a sizable map and genealogical collection; and the public and professional papers of such noted Brooklyn legislators and civic leaders as John J. Rooney, Eugene Keogh, William Conklin, and Roy Richardson.

The Robert L. Hess Collections

The Robert L. Hess Collection on Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa and the Robert L. Hess Collection on the Continent of Africa are largely devoted to colonial issues and the colonial period. The materials date from the late 18th to the mid-twentieth centuries.

The collection of some 5,000 volumes has been inventoried and appraised by leading bookmen and Africana specialists William French and Philip McBain. The appraisers characterized the collection this way:

The great bulk of the collection is specifically focused on the Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Somalia, and their neighbors. Within this area the coverage is both broad and deep; all aspects of history, exploration, politics, linguistics, religion, art, economics, and geography are extensively covered. Materials include:

Robert L. Hess was a noted scholar of Ethiopian History who served as president of Brooklyn College from 1979 to 1992. In 1993, the Robert L. Hess Collection in African and Ethiopian history was deeded to the Brooklyn College Library by the late-President Hess's widow, Frances A. Hess.

Manuscript Collection

These collections include the personal and professional papers and memorabilia of individuals who have national and social importance. Among these are the papers of Dr. Lauretta Bender, child psychologist; Annie Peck Smith, scholar and early mountaineer; Laura Benet, writer; and Lieutenant James M. Pettit, Civil War soldier.

Rare Book Collection

The Rare Book Collection contains some two thousand volumes ranging from the late sixteenth century to the early twentieth century. This collection includes titles of significant literary, historical, geographical, and scientific value. The collection has representative examples of incunabula (books printed before 1501) and early American imprints. Many are autographed and inscribed by their authors, including the works of Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
 

Hours and Access Policies

Located in Room 114 on the 1st floor of the Field Library, the Archives and Special Collections Department is open on Monday 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M, Tuesday 9:00AM to 8:00PM, Wednesday and Thursday 9:00AM to 6:00PM, and on Friday 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Reference and research assistance is offered to all Brooklyn College students, alumni, faculty, and administrators. Access is also available to outside researchers, writers, and students, who should secure permission from the archivist prior to visiting the collections.

All collections, unless otherwise restricted, are available for review by responsible researchers. Visitors are required to sign our register after presenting proper identification.

The duplication of collection materials either by photocopying and/or computer-based processing is permitted on a case-by-case basis. Permission is determined by the physical condition of the requested materials and any copyright or use restrictions that may apply. Consultation with the archivist is required.

Bibliographic Access

The book titles in the Archives and Special Collections Division are cataloged and appear in the CUNY+ online catalog. Archival materials are cataloged in MICRO-MARC AMC, a special database designed to provide bibliographic control and access to archival materials. This database is available to researchers in the archives, as are the individual guides prepared for each archival collection. Researchers are encouraged to avail themselves of these finding aids.

For further information, contact:

Archives and Special Collections
Brooklyn College Library
2900 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11210-2889

Voice (718) 951-5346
Fax (718) 951-4557
Contact Professor Anthony M. Cucchiara at: amcbc@cunyvm.cuny.edu

Click here to access: Special Collections' Holdings


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