About Us
Trexler Library’s Special Collections & Archives Department is the repository for Muhlenberg’s collections of rare books, manuscripts, photographs, sound and visual recordings, maps, and ephemera, including material relating to the College's history. Special Collections is responsible for collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and providing access to these unique and rare primary materials for the use of scholars and the Muhlenberg community for research or in the service of instructional programs.
Read more about Trexler Library’s Special Collections and Archives in the Summer 2016 issue of the Muhlenberg Magazine.
Visit
The Special Collections office is located on Level B of Trexler Library, to the left of the elevator and stairwell. Materials may be viewed by appointment from 9:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Making an appointment with the Special Collections & Archives Librarian in advance of your arrival will ensure that your research materials are ready for your visit.
Beginning in Fall 2021, Special Collections & Archives is pleased to welcome external researchers and visitors back to Trexler Library. These patrons are expected to abide by the pandemic protocols put in place by Muhlenberg College.
Access Policy
The Special Collections are available for use by Muhlenberg College students, faculty, staff, and persons with a reasonable need to use the materials.
Special Collections materials are non-circulating. Certain exceptions may be made if the condition of the material will allow circulation, and the need for use warrants it. Some materials have microform editions or circulating copies. Patrons will be referred to these first.
To use Special Collections materials, the patron must come to the office and fill out a Special Collections Call Slip. Copies of the Call Slip are also available at the Lending Services Desk. The Special Collections & Archives Librarian will retrieve the material requested; patrons generally are not permitted access to Special Collections storage areas. All materials must be used in the Special Collections office, and must be handled with great care. Only pencils and loose leaf paper will be allowed at the study desk. Food and drink are not permitted. The Library reserves the right to refuse any copying request if it is not in the best interest of the preservation of the material.
Most of the Special Collections material is catalogued and can be found online in the Trexler Library Catalog. Uncataloged items, such as faculty journal articles, realia, ephemera, and audio visual materials in the Muhlenberg College and Pennsylvania German Collections are also available for research. For more information on the Collections, please visit the specific collection web page or contact the Special Collections & Archives Librarian.
