Resources for Archival and Special Collections Projects + Research Development

Introduction to Archival Research

The Graduate Center Library offers semesterly workshops for students new to using archives, titled “Archival Research: The Basics.” Please check the Workshop Calendar for the schedule, and to register.

GC Librarians can also assist as you prepare to visit an archive, or when you are doing research with secondary sources. Each department (and MALS track) has a librarian who can work with your specific projects. You may make a research appointment with your subject librarian for in-depth conversation and support.

Digital Collections, Digital Galleries, and Digital Archive Development

GC Digital Initiatives offers many resources for digital skill development, including those related to archives and special collections. Their semesterly workshop schedule, open office hours, and newly-formed working groups allow you to learn in a group setting or through one-on-one consultations. Please contact Lisa Rhody <[email protected]> for more information.

Beyond the Schwarzman Building Collections

We invite those of you with research interests in collections located at the Library for the Performing Arts, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture to book a research consultation with your specific collection of interest. Please also email us if you are interested in a special Collaborative Research Seminar hosted specifically with one of these institutions.

Maps

For researchers specifically interested in mapping or archival maps, we invite you to contact the Map Division of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building to schedule a research appointment <[email protected]>. Please also email us if you are interested in a special Collaborative Research Seminar specifically on this topic.

Working Groups at the Center for the Humanities

The Center for the Humanities offers students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to create working groups focused on a central inquiry or theme. Contact Kendra Sullivan, Program Director, <[email protected]>, or Mary Catherine Kinniburgh <[email protected]> if you are interested in joining our working group, Primary Source: A Working Group on Special Collections, Archives, and Libraries, or beginning your own.

The Early Research Initiative

The Early Research Initiative offers student funding and research support for archival projects, and hosts numerous partnerships with institutions such as the Morgan Library, The New-York-Historical Society, the Vera Institute for Justice, The New York Botanical Gardens,  and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Please contact Duncan Faherty <[email protected]> for more information on how to get involved.

Collated by Mary Catherine Kinniburgh, with Alycia Sellie, Polly Thistlethwaite, Duncan Faherty, Lisa Rhody, Kendra Sullivan, and Ammiel Alcalay in March 2017.