Special Collections and Archives

When making an appointment to visit Special Collections, please allow adequate time for us to retrieve the items you would like to review. 

Our materials DO NOT CIRCULATE and may only be used in the reading room. Books and archival materials in Special Collections may be old, fragile, and rare, so we ask that you follow a few simple guidelines when handling them: 

• Please refrain from eating or drinking in the Special Collections reading room. 
• Please use a pencil only to record any notes. You may also take notes on a laptop computer (wireless Internet access is available to WCU users).
• If asked to do so, please wear gloves when handling materials such as photographs or slides.

Finding Archival Materials & Manuscripts

Archival and manuscript materials at West Chester University are generally not found in PILOT, the FHG Library's online catalog.  However, we are working to make these collections available through finding aids and inventories. Available finding aids can be found through ArchivesSpace. We are always working to create and upload finding aids for more collections; check back for updates.

If you do not see what you are looking for, please do not hesitate to ask for ask for help from a staff member. Send an email to Libspeccol@wcupa.edu or call 610.436.3456.

Also check out the Digital Collections tab at the top of this page for access to our digitized materials, including university yearbooks, course catalogs, histories, historic postcards, and much more.

Finding Books in Special Collections

All of the book, periodical, booklet, and pamphlet materials housed in Special Collections can be found by searching the library catalog.  Items can be searched by title, author, keyword, etc.  Use the "Narrow my Results" options on the left hand side of the page to limit results to Special Collections Locations.

Citing Special Collections Materials

When citing published materials held in the Special Collections & Archives, use the format proscribed by the citation style you are following (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)  If you need help with citations, click here.

When citing unpublished materials, the preferred citation is as follows:

[Item identification.] [Name of collection.]  Courtesy of Special Collections, West Chester University Libraries.