Students, faculty, and staff of the College of William and Mary, researchers from other colleges and universities, and the general public are welcome to use the collections of and visit exhibits in the Special Collections Research Center at Swem Library. There is no charge for admission. A slideshow designed to help researchers understand the procedures before their first visit to the Special Collections Research Center is available on Flickr. Click on "Show Info" in the upper right corner of the slideshow to display the explanatory text and use the buttons at the bottom of the page to return to move between slides.
The first time you visit, you will need to fill out and sign a registration form and present a photo ID that we will photocopy. You will be asked to re-register once a year, starting on July 1, so that our records will remain current. On each visit, you will need to sign the register at the SCRC reception desk. For your convenience, a copy of the registration form is below, and copies also are available at the SCRC.
SCRC Registration Form (Word document)
You may bring pencils, blank paper, notes, and a laptop (but not a laptop bag) into the SCRC Burger Reading Room. No food or drink, pens, containers, or similar items are allowed. Lockers are provided so that you can store your belongings while in the Reading Room; free tokens are available at the SCRC reception desk. There also is a closet for hanging coats or jackets.
For the full list of rules and procedures, please see:
SCRC Rules (pdf)
