Special Collections
Welcome New University Archivist, Ali Zawoyski!
Alissa “Ali” Zawoyski is William & Mary Libraries’ new University Archivist!
The Ultimate Collection at Swem Library
Learn more about the history of Ultimate Frisbee at W&M and how you can help make a lasting home for this sport in the archive!
The Reconquista, Washington Irving, and the American Civil War: Coming Together through Special Collections
One book can tell several different histories. Learn more about the journey of a book that was stolen and later returned to the William & Mary library.
Behind the Scenes: Re-Cataloging a 17th-Century Geography
An inside look into reclassifying and describing an early geography of the world with woodcut maps, portraits, diagrams, and other illustrations that depict the world as it was known in 1628.
"The Silv’ry Moon is Shining Bright and Clear"
Jenna Hershberger explores the omnipresent moon imagery in a recent acquisition, the Josephine W. Shinholser Collection of Sheet Music.
Galileo's Dialogo: Censorship and Early Modern Science
In honor of Banned Books Week, Ute Schechter explores censorship and early modern science through an investigation of a clandestine edition of Galileo's Dialogo.
Murder, They Wrote
Tracy Melton '85, member of the William & Mary Libraries Board of Directors, considers the words we use to describe crime and death in archival work. Read on to learn more about a nineteenth-century fatality recounted in the Galt Papers.
Language, Identity, and Control: Print Culture and Early Native American History
A 1677 document in Special Collections explores how the British used print and language to both build relationships with and exert control over Native peoples.
Making a Queen: The Symbolic Imagery of Elizabeth I's Reign
In 1574, as well as the rest of her reign, Queen Elizabeth I’s place as England’s monarch was continually challenged based on her mother’s reputation, her lack of a husband, her religion, and her gender. Even as one of the most powerful women in the 16th century, she still needed to prove herself.