Siena students and faculty may use the Special Collections by presenting their Siena I.D. Materials are available for use within Standish Library by other scholars with a letter of introduction or official identification, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., or by appointment. Please contact Sean Conley for further assistance.
The Siena College Special Collections consists primarily of old and rare books, autographed copies, limited edition books, documents, manuscripts, manuscript leaves, facsimile editions, photographs, maps, scrapbooks, selected 18th, 19th and early 20th century journals, and realia which support the curriculum and special programs of the College.
Within this collection there are several subject concentrations including theology, British and Irish history, Classical literature and English literature. There are also many editions signed by famous authors. All Special Collections materials can be viewed in the library’s online catalog.
The Franciscan Friars, friends of the college and other libraries, donated most of the books in the Library’s special collection over the years. Other special collection titles were gleaned from the library’s regular book stacks.
The primary means for the development of the Special Collections is through non-monetary gifts to the Library. The Siena College Library Gifts Policy is applicable to all donations designated for the Special Collections. Acquisitions which are made through purchase invariably entail a monetary gift to the Library. In these cases items are selected and purchased from dealer catalogs or other dealer offers.
Generally loans of material or temporarily deposited items are not accepted for the Special Collection.
The Fleet Archives and Special Collections Room is located on the Second Floor near the Rotunda.
The Special Collection at Siena College Library consists of about 2600 volumes, which arestored in wire mesh shelving in the Fleet Special Collections Center and the Reed ReadingRoom located on the second floor near the Rotunda. Eighteenth, nineteenth and rare twentieth century journals are shelved in special cases located in the Siena College Alumni Association Current Periodicals Area located on the first floor. There are nearly 750 volumes in the special journals collection.
Some of the volumes in the special collection have been restored by rare book specialists and conservators such as the Harcourt Bindery of Boston, the Bridgeport Bindery and theNortheast Document Conservation Center. However many of these works remain very fragile and must be handled with great care.
The policy of the Special Collections Center is to make materials available to researchers on equal terms, subject to appropriate care and handling by the researcher.
1.) Siena College Faculty and Staff
2.) Siena College Students
3.) Visiting students
4.) Visiting scholars
5.) Siena College Alumni
6.) Members of the public
All of the above groups are welcome to use the Special Collections with proper registration.
