Latest Post
Congrats to the Class of 2025 Library Student Employees!
Posted April 30, 2025
As the academic year comes to an end, we’d like to recognize and celebrate our graduating student employees.
W&M Libraries Blog
Student Voices: Elisabeth Merrifield
Posted
My name is Elisabeth Merrifield. Yes, it is spelled with an 's' and not a 'z' mainly because my parents did not want me to be called 'Liz' (it did not work). I am a senior at the College. I am double majoring in government and history. I transferred in the Fall of 2015 and have loved it here. I play for the Gold Women's Club Volleyball team and love my team. They are outstanding and ridiculously smart people.
Student Voices: Alexis Vitali
Posted
Hey, fellow Swem-goers! My name is Alexis and I have been working at Swem Circulation for over a year now. I started out as an assistant, shelving and sorting from the books needed for final papers. Last year, I was able to help deliver books to professors all over campus. And as it turns out, books can bring more excitement when you get to drive them in a golf-cart, trying not to get stuck behind tour groups (otherwise known as flamingos).
What Does A Research Librarian Do?
Posted
I became William & Mary Libraries' Science Librarian on December 25th, 2017. In my first four months of employment I've had several people (including my family members) ask me: "So what exactly does a science librarian do?" It's a great question!
World War I in the Everyday Experience
Posted
As an Exhibit Apprentice in Swem's Special Collections, I had the opportunity to curate a World War I centennial exhibit.
Student Voices: Alea Al-Aghbari
Posted
In my first two years at W&M, I rarely went to Swem. It was crowded and busy and stressful, and I preferred the coziness of my own room. But for the past year and a half, I have stepped into Swem hundreds of times, more than my freshman self could have possibly imagined.
Must Love Dogs: Cecil Aldin
Posted
Cecil Aldin (1870-1935) was a British artist and illustrator, famous for his portrayal of dogs.
Art + Feminism Wiki Edit-a-thon Returns
Posted
William & Mary Libraries is proud to bring back the Art+Feminism Wikipedia edit-a-thon on Tuesday, April 10 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday, April 11 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. during National Library Week.
Student Voices: Azana Carr
Posted
Hi, I'm Azana Carr, and I work as a student assistant for the W&M Libraries External Relations office. The best way to describe my job is: "You know all the events, workshops, and therapy dogs that happen in Swem? We do that!"
Handmade books and the Old Stile Press
Posted
Our collection of artists' books is ever-growing and teeming with innovative ways to redefine the traditional codex; the Old Stile Press is only a small introduction to the craftsmanship found hidden among our Special Collections.
Special Collections Research Travel Grant
Posted
The Special Collections Research Center at Swem Library is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for travel grants!
Student Voices: Grace Aylor
Posted
Hi! My name is Grace and I've been working at the Swem Circulation desk for a little over a year now. If you come to Swem often enough you might know me as 'the girl with the bangs.' Even though it's only been a year, I am here so often now some of the full-time Swem staff are convinced that I've been here forever!
Must Love Dogs: Knitting
Posted
If you've ever had a dog, you are no doubt aware of the amount of dog hair that accumulates on your floor, furniture, and clothes. There have likely been times when you have said something along the lines of "There's enough hair here to knit a sweater." Well, if you ever get the desire to gather up all of that hair for such a purpose, the Chapin-Horowitz Collection of Books on Dogs can hook you up with "Knitting with Dog Hair: A Woof-to-Warp
"Dean"
Posted
For many black students who attended William & Mary during the 1980s and 1990s, "Dean" was a term of endearment—a title that demanded respect because it identified the power player in their corner—and only one individual carried that distinction: Dean Carroll Hardy.
Founders: The People Behind William & Mary
Posted
This year's Charter Day marked the 325th anniversary of the founding of William & Mary by William III and Mary II, the first and (to date) only joint-monarchs in British history. An exhibition in the lobby at Swem Library brings the focus to William and Mary – the people, not the university.
The Royal Charter: Manuscript and Print
Posted
On February 8, 1693, the Royal Charter establishing William & Mary in Virginia was written. William & Mary President James Blair brought both English and Latin versions of the twelve page document with him from the Court of William & Mary at Kensington Palace. The original copy of the charter establishing the College was lost about the time of the American Revolution.
The Dark Side of College Life
Posted
In my everlasting search for materials relating to African Americans in Special Collections, I was pointed to the 1921 edition of the Colonial Echo. Within its worn cover, there is a single page spread entitled "The Dark Side of College Life." These are the only words. The rest of the page is filled with several black and white photographs of exactly what one might expect – black employees of the College.
"His Soul is Marching On": Artifacts from the Raid on Harpers Ferry
Posted
On the night of Sunday October 16, 1859, twenty-three men emerged from the woods surrounding the town of Harpers Ferry, which sits at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers in present-day West Virginia. Armed with rifles and pikes, their mission was to successfully secure the large cache of weapons kept in the town's armory and expel the U.S. military from the area.
Christmas Behind the Scenes
Posted
There's nothing like browsing through hundreds of Christmas books right after Halloween to get you in the holiday spirit. Even better is spending hours searching through every box for cookie cutters that were listed under the wrong number. Jokes aside, it was an endless pleasure to pour over colorful illustrations of Santa Claus and pick the perfect pages to display for the campus community.
Tis the Season
Posted
In this month's dog series post, we decided to focus on dog books related to the December holidays. In doing so, it became quickly apparent that while we have a small number of titles related to dogs and Christmas, we do not have titles related to Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. Our awareness of this deficiently will inform future collecting decisions. If there are specific titles you would like to suggest, please hit us up in the comments section.
Basque in the Archives
Posted
Down in the belly of Special Collections sits a mysterious blue velvet box. Its contents are simultaneously mundane and bizarre, important for the study of language in Spain, and remarkably unremarkable. The box bears the inscription Matxin de Zalbaren Gutuna, La Carta de Machin de Zalba, 1416. What is it? Why do we have it? What makes it both special and ordinary?