Archives & Special Collections: Home

The mission of the Archives & Special Collections Department (A&SC) of the Daniel A. Reed Library at the State University of New York at Fredonia is to collect, organize, preserve, provide access to and encourage scholarly engagement with a variety of unique manuscript and archival materials in primary support of the scholarship needs of both the academic community at Fredonia and researchers around the world.

The A&SC provides a vital function in enhancing Fredonia’s reputation as a center for excellence in scholarship by working with faculty to integrate the use of unique manuscript and archival materials into the curriculum. To that end, the A&SC, in support of the overall mission of the university, embraces the initiatives to educate, challenge and inspire students, encouraging their development as skilled, connected, creative and responsible global citizens. 

Photo: Participants in the Western New York Music Festival, courtyard of the Fredonia Normal School ("Old Main"), Fredonia, NY, circa 1929, photographer unknown. Archives & Special Collections, State University of New York at Fredonia, FF1/12/42

The University Archives collects materials of enduring historical value and certain non-current records that document both the administrative activities of the State University of New York at Fredonia and its overall history. Decisions on collection development in this area are informed by the SUNY Records Retention and Disposition Schedule, as well as by the input of key university departments and individuals.

The Special Collections comprise a unique range of primary source materials in a variety of formats, as well as a small collection of rare books and other secondary sources. The manuscript collections encompass subjects of regional, national and international significance. Current collection strengths emphasize regional environmental history and activism as seen in the records of the Coalition on West Valley Nuclear Wastes; the records of the Fredonia Baptist Church, the first Baptist Church in northern Chautauqua County and one whose members would play a significant role in both the Underground Railroad and the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU); the papers of noted Fredonia author Grace S. Richmond; the activities of the Holland Land Company in the greater Western New York region, available on microfilm and, in part, online via New York Heritage; 20th-century American classical music, particularly as exemplified in the papers of preeminent classical saxophonist Sigurd M. Raschèr and Fredonia's own Walter S. Hartley; and the renowned Austrian Jewish author Stefan Zweig.

The Archives & Special Collections (A&SC) will consider donations of the following materials, depending on their ability to meaningfully contribute to the areas of focus outlined above: manuscripts, photographs, sound recordings, audiovisual materials, rare books, ephemera and other archival records deemed to have significant intrinsic as well as informational value as defined by the Society of American Archivists. Newspaper clippings are not actively collected by the A&SC. The A&SC requires a Deed of Gift agreement for all donations in order to establish clear transfer of ownership to the A&SC.

The Archives & Special Collections will generally not accept the following:

• Materials for which the donor does not hold the clear title or in which the donor’s ownership is in question or disputed
• Materials that fall outside the scope of the current collection development policy and mission in either format or content
• Photocopies or other alternate use formats of materials held by other repositories
• Photocopies or other alternate use formats in lieu of original source materials
• Duplicates of materials already held by the Archives & Special Collections
• Items in extremely poor physical condition requiring extensive conservation treatment
• Formats for which the Archives & Special Collections does not currently have either the technology or expertise to properly maintain
• Government records of permanent value or other original materials better suited to another repository

The Reed Library Archives & Special Collections typically does not hold the intellectual property rights for the materials in its collections. The Archives & Special Collections assumes that all requests for reproductions are made within the guidelines of the U.S. Copyright Office Fair Use doctrine and are intended exclusively for research and educational purposes. As such, the Archives & Special Collections will assume no responsibility for any infringement of copyright on the part of the researcher. When seeking to use any reproductions for publication, it is the sole responsibility of the researcher to determine the copyright status of the materials and to contact the appropriate individual(s) in order to gain permission to publish. Please consult this table from Cornell University for more information on determining copyright status.

Requests for copies of materials from our holdings may be initiated by completion of the Reproduction Request Form. In accordance with good scholarly practice, we ask that researchers acknowledge the Archives & Special Collections as the holding institution for the original materials by using the appropriate style guide.

Individuals or organizations who plan to publish or exhibit materials from the holdings of the Archives & Special Collections must contact the Archives staff directly and complete the Intent to Publish Form. Permission is granted for one-time use only, regardless of published format. 

Requests are limited to 50 pages/images within a six-month period or 10% of a single volume or collection at one time.  Reproduction requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on available staff resources and the physical condition of items.

We are located on the 1st floor of the Carnahan-Jackson Center on the campus of the State University of New York at Fredonia. View a google map of our location.

Email: speccoll@fredonia.edu

PH: +1 716-673-3183
FAX: +1 716-673-3185

To make an appointment for the use of materials within Archives & Special Collections, please complete the Archives Research Request form.

Pursuant to the Reed Library Unattended Child Policy, minors must be accompanied at all times by a responsible adult; unattended children are not allowed in the Archives & Special Collections area based on library and university policy.