York's Archives and Special Collections: Supporting Research, Teaching and Learning

In an academic environment devoted to the pursuit of original and critical thought, Archives and Special Collections (ASC) can play an important role in achieving this objective for faculty and students, through holdings that range from a copy of the Koran created in 1372 to literary manuscripts composed last year. The ASC reading room can be a place of discovery and excitement that supports scholarly endeavours while making the university experience rich and memorable.

ASC Holdings

The holdings of ASC fall into two categories: the records of individuals and organizations that possess significant research value, and published material that is rare or difficult to replace.
Archival records document the university's history, as well as the careers of poets, playwrights, composers, filmmakers, performing artists, social reformers, labour activists, and scholars. They also include the records of diverse organizations whose work falls within the themes of ASC's acquisition mandate: Canadian writers, Canadian women, the arts, social reform, and the multi-cultural imagination. A list of fonds (all of the records created or received by a particular individual or organization), with links to a description providing information on the scope and content of the records, can be found at http://www.library.yorku.ca/ccm/ArchivesSpecialCollections/FindingAids/FondsRegister.htm.

Special Collections consist of books and pamphlets that support York's research interests and complement its archival holdings. Canadian Studies are the focus of several collections, such as the Robert Gibson Collection with its many out-of-print books related to Ontario and Quebec history, biography, social science and culture. ASC is also home to the Canadian Pamphlet Collection, which dates from the 18th century and covers a wide variety of topics including social and political issues, religion, fine arts and women's studies. The Yolton Collection, on the other hand, includes rare, first edition volumes of the philosophical works of John Locke that have attracted inquiries from as far afield as Australia. The great majority of the items in Special Collections can be found using the Libraries' online catalogue.

ASC's holdings have been preserved so that they may be used to support the development of students' analytical skills through access to primary sources. These resources are largely irreplaceable. As a result, this material does not circulate and can only be consulted in the ASC reading room. Only pencils are allowed for taking notes in this section of the Libraries, and other guidelines are in place to ensure that the holdings will be available to other researchers well into the future. Visitors should keep in mind that some materials have limited accessibility due to their fragile condition, privacy constraints, and restrictions on copying.

Support for Research and Teaching

ASC can be an integral part of York's teaching and research programs. Our offices on the third floor of the Scott Library feature a classroom able to accommodate 20 people, which can be reserved for use by faculty. Our staff are available to discuss the scope of our holdings (including examples of items that are particularly relevant to a course) and the nature of archival research, either in ASC's classroom or by participating in regularly scheduled lectures. Faculty are also encouraged to contact the University Archivist, Michael Moir, to discuss possible acquisitions of archival records or book collections currently in private hands that may be useful in supporting research initiatives at York University.

The use of original documents and rare books exposes your students to information that can broaden their perspective and lead them to original conclusions. Our holdings can also support the work of faculty in their roles as teachers, administrators and researchers. Archives staff are pleased to provide advice about the availability of material to support your endeavours by telephone or email.

To learn more about our holdings and how to access them or to book the ASC classroom, check out our website at http://www.library.yorku.ca/acs/ArchivesSpecialCollections/index.htm.

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