|
Home |
What is the mission of the Chapin Library? A statement of the Library's mission and goals may be found here. Return to top When are you open? Our usual hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. We're closed at night and on weekends. Click here for notices of special openings and closings. Return to top Why aren't you open at night or on weekends? We have a very small staff, only two librarians and a half-time administrative assistant to manage an active program of acquisitions, cataloging, and reader service. We are, however, open thirty hours per week, Monday through Friday. Return to top The Chapin Library is on the second floor of Stetson Hall, the building just to the east of Sawyer Library. Please don't confuse us with Chapin Hall: the same Chapin built the College's main auditorium, but we're not in that building. Return to top Do I need to make an appointment to use the Library? No, feel free to visit us whenever we're open, to talk with us or to see our exhibitions. However, it may be to your advantage to make an appointment, if you can. There are times when both librarians are unavailable for a while; and if we can talk with you in advance about what you want to see, we can tell you if we have it, and can have it out for you, ready to use when you arrive. Return to top How do I arrange a class visit to the Chapin Library? Just contact us by phone or e-mail, or stop by the Library office. Teachers at Williams College, or at other area schools (including elementary and secondary schools), are welcome to bring their class groups to the Library for presentations of material related to coursework. Sessions may be as long or as brief as the faculty member wishes, and may be scheduled outside of the Library's regular public hours, as necessary. The librarians 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, manuscripts, etc. in such a setting. The ideal class size is no greater than 15, plus the teacher(s) and librarian(s), both for the more efficient viewing of materials and to ensure their safe handling; but exceptions are frequently made. Return to top This
book isn't old, why is it in Rare Books? Why are there two special collections libraries at Williams College? The Chapin Library and the Archives and Special Collections Department of the Williams College Library were conceived many years apart, for different purposes. The Chapin Library has grown out of the foundation collection given by Mr. Chapin and is maintained as a separate department of Williams, distinct from the College Library, according to the legal requirements of Mr. Chapin's deed of gift. The Archives and Special Collections department was formed originally to manage Williamsiana, i.e. materials documenting the history of the College, and later was charged with administering rare books and other special collections held by the College Library. Some of the latter materials were at Williams before the Chapin Library was founded; others came to the College Library because they were felt to be out of the Chapin Library's scope. However, the two libraries cooperate and consult with each other in many areas, and plan to combine their primary point of service in a renovated and expanded Stetson Hall. Return to top I don't have time to read this book now. Why can't I check it out? Most of the Chapin Library's books have significant value. Even some of our reference books are rare. And many of our books would be difficult or impossible to replace if they were lost, and expensive to repair if damaged. Each of our manuscripts, of course, is unique. Therefore we do not allow any of our books or other materials to circulate. This is an almost universal policy in special collections libraries. Return to top If I can't check the book out, could it be photocopied? We can sometimes photocopy a few pages from our books, on occasion even whole pamphlets, but we have to impose limits. Aside from staff time that must be given over to photocopy requests, we have to consider the well-being of our books - we want them used, but also able to be used in the future - and some are just too fragile to permit copying without damage. Return to top Why aren't your collections digitized and on a website, so that I can look at them on my computer? On the one hand, we haven't the staff, time, or money for such a project; but also, the Chapin Library exists to preserve books and manuscripts in their original condition, as artifacts as well as texts, just as museums exist to preserve and display original works of art. Digitization can play important roles in libraries, but a picture of a book or manuscript can't replace the object itself, which may have many tales to tell through physical evidence in addition to the printed or written word. That said, the Library can provide a limited service in this regard to Williams faculty, in the form of specialized Web pages for class use (an example may be found here). Return to top Why can't I use a pen to take notes in the Chapin Library? I'm not going to mark in the books. Despite good intentions, pens can slip, and it's hard (in some cases, impossible) to erase ink marks. Pencil is much safer. We'll supply a pencil if you don't have one. We also allow portable computers to be used. Return to top Our oldest book is a manuscript: a version of the Gospels for reading, written out in one of Charlemagne's scriptoria in Tours, France, around the year 800. Return to top What is your most valuable book? In monetary terms, that's hard to say. The market value of our collection changes constantly. Books that Mr. Chapin purchased around 1915 are now worth hundreds of times what he paid! We prefer to think of our books and manuscripts as equally valuable for helping people to learn and to appreciate their culture. Return to top Are you still adding to your collections? Indeed we are!
We have a limited budget for buying books and manuscripts, but have
been fortunate to receive gifts of collections and of individual items
which we have gladly added to the Chapin Library. We have also used
cash gifts to create or augment endowed funds, to increase and care
for our collections in both the short and long terms. We're always happy
to hear from prospective donors; click here
for contact information.
Return to top Return
to Use the Library Copyright
© 200-2007 by the President and Trustees of Williams College |