Fall 2020 Update for Researchers

Special Collections & Archives is open in a limited capacity for the Fall semester.  Onsite research appointments are available for Bowdoin faculty, staff, and residential students only.  Instructional services are available both online and, for first-year writing seminars only, in-person.  All other services will be offered only online.  For questions, please email us at scaref@bowdoin.edu.

Access Our Collections and Services

• Onsite Access to Materials: At this time, only Bowdoin faculty, staff, and students who are participating in Bowdoin’s COVID testing program and are authorized to be on campus may visit the reading room.  In all cases, access is by appointment only, must be made at least three business days in advance, and booked through our online request form. Appointments are available during the hours of 1-5 pm on Monday-Friday, and for one researcher at a time on a first come, first served basis. Any materials to be consulted also must be requested at least three business days in advance by emailing scaref@bowdoin.edu.

• Remote Reference:  We will continue to offer remote reference services for those who cannot or prefer not to visit in-person, including those outside of the Bowdoin community.  Please email us at scaref@bowdoin.edu if you have a reference question, or book an online consultation if you need assistance getting started with your research. 

• Instructional Services:  Bowdoin faculty who would like to schedule an online session or, in the case of first-year writing seminars only, an onsite visit for your class, please contact Marieke Van Der Steenhoven at mvanders@bowdoin.edu.  Visit our online learning resources site for more details as well as ideas about how to incorporate object-based learning in to an online learning environment.

• Digital Collections:  More than 300,000 items in Special Collections have been digitized and are freely available online across a variety of platforms. These sources can easily be incorporated into research and teaching.  FMI contact Digital Archivist, Meagan Doyle at mdoyle@bowdoin.edu.

Documenting Bowdoin & COVID-19

Special Collections & Archives invites the Bowdoin community to document their experiences during the global pandemic. Learn more here.