George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives

Welcome to the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives at Bowdoin College. As an integral part of the Bowdoin College Library and an active partner in the educational work of the College, the department preserves and makes accessible the 45,000 volumes of rare books, 5,000 linear feet of manuscripts and College archives, 25,000 photographs, 500 historical maps, and related materials that comprise our holdings. The department is named in honor of Senator George J. Mitchell, Class of 1954, whose own papers documenting a life of service to the Common Good were donated to the College in 1995.

The collections are wide-ranging and include substantial manuscript sources, rare published works, and historical records documenting Bowdoin College. Manuscript holdings date from as early as the 13th century and are particularly rich for research into the early history of Massachusetts and Maine; anti-slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction; Arctic studies and Arctic exploration; Maine writers; politics and government; and Bowdoin College, its alumni, faculty, and presidents.

Among the printed works (the earliest dated 1478) are several notable collections, including early American, Maine and British imprints, Hawthorne and Longfellow collections, fine press printings, and finely bound books. Some of the works now found in Special Collections have been in the College's possession since soon after its founding in 1794.

Although we primarily serve the students, faculty and staff of the College, all library visitors are welcome, and researchers who agree to our Rules for Readers are free to examine any of our unrestricted holdings. Online collection listings are available, as are online catalog records describing these collections. We encourage you to read more about our holdings and services on this website, and we invite you to inquire directly with department staff about your research interests at any time.

Photo ©2001 Brian Vanden Brink. All rights reserved.