by Cheney Schopieray | Nov 12, 2026 | Acquisitions, Collections, Giving, Manuscripts
The William L. Clements Library would like to take an opportunity to celebrate donations and purchases that add new archival materials to existing collections. These are cases in which the library may have owned a set of papers for decades, but which have recently been expanded to include hitherto unknown or unresearched source materials. These acquisitions safely and happily unite formerly disparate personal and family papers under one roof for the benefit of all researchers.
by Clements Library | Oct 20, 2026 | Acquisitions, Collections, Library Work, Manuscripts
Thanks to the hard work of the Manuscripts Division, over a dozen manuscript collections were made available for research this month! Philadelphia (Pa.) Citizens petition to Andrew Jackson, 1836 This 28-foot scroll is a petition authored by a group of Philadelphians...
by Clements Library | Oct 15, 2026 | Acquisitions, Books, Clements Library Associates, Collections, Giving, Library Work, Students
When life-long book collector Ed Surovell lost his eyesight, he wanted to ensure that his books would be preserved and made accessible for research well into the future. In December 2021, Surovell generously gifted the Clements Library his carefully curated collection of Native American language materials. With over 300 items, this collection represents books printed in more than 20 different Native American languages from North America, with a particular interest in material from the Great Lakes region.
by Clements Library | Sep 24, 2026 | Acquisitions, Collections, Library Work, Manuscripts
The manuscript collections at the Clements Library include a wide variety of materials: personal correspondence, scrapbooks, inventories, and even some photographs and printed materials that accompanied collections of handwritten items. This month’s batch of manuscript finding aids are no exception! Read on to learn about the collections that have recently been made available for research.
by Clements Library | Aug 5, 2026 | Acquisitions, Collections, Library Work, Manuscripts
Many manuscripts collections have been processed and made available for research, ranging from a Broadway Theaters scrapbook depicting a “School of Educated Dogs” to the papers of WWII veteran Robert S. Simpson, who helped establish a typhus hospital at the liberated Allach concentration camp. As always, all are welcome to visit the Clements to research these materials in person.
by Sam Huck | Jul 24, 2026 | Acquisitions, Collections, Manuscripts, News
The William L. Clements Library recently acquired an extraordinary archive of 192 original sermons written between 1765 and 1780 by Rev. Joseph Bowman. Held in a private collection, the existence of the papers were previously unknown. The 2,000 page hand-written collection forms a significant corpus of religious writing that coincides with the final years of the First Great Awakening and continues through the American Revolution.
by Clements Library | Jul 14, 2026 | Acquisitions, Collections, Library Work, Manuscripts
The Clements Library is thrilled to make another large batch of manuscript collections available for research. Included in this batch are colorful sample checks, documents penned by poet James Whitcomb Riley, and a fan diary recording celebrations of the 4th of July over the years!
by Mary Pedley | Jun 30, 2026 | Acquisitions, Collections, Maps
Who was Ferdinand Verbiest and why did he create a world map?
by Clements Library | Jun 24, 2026 | Acquisitions, Collections, Graphics, Library Work, Volunteers
The Graphics Division has published thirteen new finding aids documenting the lives of individuals and families from the 1840s to the 1990s.
