Using the Chapin Library
- Reading Room and Hours
- Cataloging
- Asking for Materials
- Handling Materials
- Photocopying and Photography
- Permissions
- Class and Tour Groups
- Loans
Reading Room and Hours
Due to construction of a new library/technology center, the Chapin Library is temporarily located in the Southworth Schoolhouse, an historic school converted by Williams College to faculty and staff apartments, on the corner of Southworth and School Streets in Williamstown. The Chapin Library/College Archives reading room in Apartment 3 is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed nights and weekends except for special functions as announced. The reading room and the Schoolhouse entrance are handicapped accessible.
Due to limited seating and occasional use of the reading room for class presentations, readers are encouraged to make an appointment by e-mail or telephone. Advance notice also allows our staff time to prepare for a visit and to better advise readers on the availability and use of materials. We ask especially that persons wishing to use the Chapin Library who are not students, faculty, or staff at Williams College please contact us before visiting.
Coats, umbrellas, bags, backpacks, etc. must be placed in the reading room closet or another area designated by staff. No food or drink are allowed in the Library. Smoking is prohibited in all College buildings. Please refrain from using cell phones or portable music devices except in common areas of the Schoolhouse. The public Internet terminal in the reading room is for research use only. Return to top
The Chapin Library’s books are recorded in FRANCIS, the online catalog of the libraries at Williams College. Chapin Library records are so indicated by name in the “location” part of the screen. While the Library is in temporary quarters (until at least summer 2013), only about one-tenth of its holdings is available for use. The remainder is stored in the College’s off-site shelving facility and is not generally available. In FRANCIS, those Chapin Library materials that may be used in our Southworth reading room are labeled non-circ, while those that are inaccessible are labeled unavailable. For the most part, manuscripts held by the Chapin are not yet recorded in the online catalog, but finding aids are being posted elsewhere on the Chapin web site.
Please note that other rare books and manuscripts are held at Williams in the Archives and Special Collections department of the Williams College Library. These include materials marked in FRANCIS with “L & T”, “Rare Book”, and “ZZ” indicators, the Shaker Collection, and the Paul Whiteman Collection. The library of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown also includes a rare books collection. Return to top
If you know what you would like to see in the Chapin Library, simply ask one of the staff and, if it is available, the item will be brought to you at a reader’s desk. For security, all of our books, manuscripts, and other materials, except for a selection of reference books in the reading room, are in closed stacks. If you cannot find the material you want among our listings in FRANCIS, or are unsure what you want, just ask and we will help. It is usually a good idea to consult secondary works, either in the Chapin Library or, most often, in the general Williams College Libraries, before turning to rare books, manuscripts, and other primary research materials. Please note that although Chapin staff are happy to assist readers and to answer reference questions, they cannot perform extensive research on readers’ behalf. Return to top
All materials from Chapin Library collections must be used in our reading room and returned to the staff member on duty. Upon arrival, readers are required to complete a registration form, upon which all materials used will be recorded. Depending on the type of material, size, or format, the number of items provided at one time may be limited. If manuscripts or other items in folders are used, the original order should be maintained.
All library materials must be handled carefully, with consideration for their age and value. Readers’ hands should be clean and dry. Materials may not be written on, traced, leaned on, or handled in any other way likely to cause damage. When taking notes, readers should use pencil or a portable computer; pens and markers are prohibited. Library staff are happy to instruct readers in proper handling techniques, to provide book cushions and page weights, and (as appropriate) to open books with uncut leaves. Return to top
Photocopying requests are handled by Library staff on a case by case basis. Some materials in the Chapin Library are too fragile or too large to permit photocopying. Others may permit only a few pages to be copied, if wear and damage are to be avoided. Complete books will not be copied unless of very modest length (subject to condition). Photocopying of more recent materials may be restricted by copyright law. Otherwise, we will try to accommodate reasonable requests. We can also arrange to make digital scans or photographs, likewise depending upon condition and size. For further information, please see our page of reproduction rates and policies. Return to top
Requests for permission to reproduce text or images from Chapin Library holdings should be sent to the Library in writing. In most cases, Williams College (as the parent institution of the Chapin Library) does not hold copyright in the work in question, but maintains its rights as property owners. Reproductions are made for research purposes only, and may not be transferred to any other person or institution without prior written permission of an authorized member of Chapin Library staff. Researchers assume full responsibility for obtaining any necessary publication rights and copyright clearances. In granting permission to publish, the Chapin Library does not surrender its own right thereafter to publish the same material or to grant permission to others to publish it, nor does Williams College assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright. Return to top
Faculty at Williams College, and teachers from area schools, are welcome to bring class groups to the Chapin Library by appointment. The librarians are happy to speak to classes, to present materials related to courses of study, and to advise on methods of research and the use of special collections. Sessions may be as long or short as the teacher wishes, and may be scheduled outside of our regular hours if necessary. We are happy to work with teachers to tailor presentations according to the needs and size of the class and the logistics of handling rare books and manuscripts in such a setting. Given limited space at the Southworth Schoolhouse, the ideal class size is no greater than 15, plus teacher(s) and librarian(s).
While we are in temporary quarters, our collection of the Founding Documents of the United States is on display in the Williams College Museum of Art. Class visits to the Founding Documents should be coordinated with the Museum’s public education personnel. Chapin Library staff are available to speak about this display as requested. Return to top
Under the terms of the Library’s founding deed of gift and as a matter of general policy, so that they may be readily available to the Williams community and to visiting scholars, Chapin Library materials do not circulate, nor can they be supplied on interlibrary loan except (condition permitting) as photocopies or scans. Similar constraints apply to items requested for exhibition, except to the Williams College Museum of Art and the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, both close at hand in Williamstown. Return to top