Colby College Special Collections achieves its purpose through the following

• Supporting the broader mission of the Colby Libraries by supplementing the circulating collections in specialized areas, by making rare or original materials available to the Colby community, the international scholarly community and the general public, and by employing professional techniques for description and outreach.
• Preserving the book, archival and artifact holdings using professional practices for conservation, security and emergency preparedness during all phases of acquisition, processing, storage and use.
• Acquiring appropriate materials guided by our Collecting Policy.

Special Collections will consider for acceptance or purchase materials that meet the following criteria:

The material(s) has no restrictions on use except, if applicable, current copyright laws.

The material(s) relates to one or more of the primary collecting strengths:

• New England writers of the early 20th century (Edwin Arlington Robinson, Henry James, and others)
• Selected British writers of the 19th and 20th centuries such as Thomas Hardy and Vernon Lee
• Irish writers of poetry, drama, and fiction from the Irish Literary Renaissance onward
• Local and regional history
• Colby College history.

OR

The material(s) relates to one or more of the smaller collections, which include:

• Bern Porter Collection of Contemporary Letters (Henry Miller, the Beats, avant-garde literature)
• Harold Pestana Collection of World War One literature and memorabilia.

The material(s) are not infested, moldy, or damaged to such an extent that costly conservation measures are required.

The material(s) will not require specialized storage conditions or other resources beyond those Special Collections can provide.

Potential acquisitions will be considered by the Special Collections Librarian in consultation with library colleagues and the Director of Colby Libraries, and other advisors as appropriate. Gifts when accepted will be acknowledged with a letter from the Director of Colby Libraries. We welcome all inquiries regarding our collections.

In-House Hold Policy | Reproduction Policy |  Student Theses Policy

• Our collections are non-circulating. They may be used on site during regular hours or by appointment. Our regular hours, year round, are: Monday - Friday, 10am to noon and 1pm to 4:30pm. Appointments are encouraged and can be made via email (paburdic@colby.edu) or telephone (207-859-5151).
• Readers are asked to register when they arrive and to leave personal belongings outside the reading room. A lockable cabinet is provided. Laptops may be used in the reading room. Advice on handling materials will be given by the staff. General guidelines are as follows:
• All materials should be handled carefully and not marked in any way. 
• Readers should use pencil only for taking notes. No pens allowed.
  Loose papers must be maintained in the order in which they are received.
• Readers should not rest paper, books, or hands on materials while working.
• Books should not be propped against the edge of a table or on other books.
• Archival quality bookmarks are available, as are white cotton gloves as needed.
• The reader accepts full responsibility for complying with laws protecting copyright and privacy rights.
• Any reader wishing to publish from Special Collections materials agrees to obtain permission prior to publication from the Special Collections Librarian, from all holders of copyright and from other interested parties as applicable.
• Research requests received through the mail, e-mail, or over the telephone will be answered as time, the availability of staff, and the fragility of the material allows. Due to limitations imposed by the small size of the staff, we cannot handle requests that require extensive research or photocopying on our part.
• Selected manuscripts and pages from books may be copied for use in private research only if the items can stand the stress of copying. Special Collections reserves the right to limit the number of copies made for any patron.
• Photocopies will be made with the understanding that they are solely for the convenience of the individual who requests them in order to facilitate research. They may not be consulted by or transferred to any other person or institution without written permission.