Research & Teaching

Our collections – archival and manuscript, rare and special books and publications, and the University Archives – generally consist of materials for topics in the Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, Arts, and Government, providing a wide array of primary sources for both your research and teaching needs. Our collections are open to everyone without fee and regardless of affiliation.

Scheduled Appointments (Monday - Friday) 

All of our holdings can be viewed in our reading room. To consult materials in-person you can request an appointment through our appointment booking system, Aeon. Once you request your appointment, you will receive an email indicating we have received your request, however, you will still need to request materials you wish to consult during your visit and associate them with your appointment before we can confirm your appointment. You can request archival materials directly through our online finding aid or published works directly through the UConn Library’s catalog. Once you have requested materials for your appointment, staff will follow up with a separate confirmation email. Please refer to our patron guide for information on getting started with Aeon.

Walk-in Hours (Thursday & Friday) 

This semester, we are open Thursdays and Fridays from 9am - 12pm and 1pm - 4pm for walk-in appointments on a first come, first served basis. Researchers are always encouraged to prepare for their visit as much as possible before their intended visit by using our patron guide, but we will do our best to get you set up to conduct research as quickly as possible regardless of what step in the research process you may be at. 

Digital Materials 

If it is impractical for you to visit us to view materials in person, a growing body of materials from our archives have been digitized. However, please remember that this only represents a fraction of what is available. For most research projects, viewing materials in person is the only way to get a sense of the scope, content, and historical context of the topics in question. 

To consult materials remotely, you can view portions of our collection through our digital repository on the Connecticut Digital Archive (CTDA), however this can be somewhat limited as we are still in the lengthy process of digitizing materials. 

Digital Reproductions 

If the materials you wish to consult are not available through the digital archive, you can submit a reproduction request through our booking and request system, Aeon. Currently, you can request archival materials directly through our online finding aid. For all other requests such as published works listed in the UConn Library catalog, you will need to submit a manual request. Once you fill out the form with all the required information, we will happily fulfill your reproduction request and deliver the scans directly to your Aeon account. Reproduction orders usually take about 2-4 weeks to be fulfilled but the time may vary depending on the size of the order, the stability of the materials, and other factors. 

Please refer to our patron guide for information on creating your Aeon account, booking appointments, and requesting materials.