Special Collections at SUNY Plattsburgh

Special Collections at SUNY Plattsburgh

Rare and Archival Materials Focused on the North Country of New York State

• See what's new in Special Collections

Don't miss it! The Incredible Special Collections Mystery Archives Series!

Follow The Inspector in his intrepid quest to solve the latest mystery in the archives!

• Episode One: A Doorway to Discovery!
• Episode Two: The Mysterious Mr. Brown
• Episode Three: A Thing with Feathers
• Episode Four: Foggy Pharmacological Breakdown 

Explore Special Collections

Our collection focuses on the northern New York State counties of Clinton, Essex, and Franklin, and the Adirondack and Champlain Valley regions. We also house general materials on New York State. We collect information in a variety of formats. Here you'll find monographs, periodicals, pamphlets and other ephemera, audio and video materials, photographs, maps, and manuscripts. Our card catalogs index manuscript guides, pamphlets, and local newspapers. They also include article-by-article indexing of periodicals relating to New York State.

Special Collections also contains the College Archives, the Plattsburgh State thesis collection, rare books, and the Rockwell Kent Collection (located conveniently in the same building as the Kent Gallery). Special Collections services (see below) include patron assistance (available during all hours that the collection is open), referral to other historical collections as needed, and individual and group orientation to the collection. Since Special Collections is a research collection, materials do not circulate. We welcome community researchers.

Find Materials in Special Collections in Several Ways

• Use our library catalog (PlattCat) to find books, periodicals, pamphlets, audio and video materials.
• Use our POLARIS index search to find newspaper and periodical articles (1800-2006) held by Special Collections and relating to the Lake Champlain-Adirondack region, photographs, and pamphlets.
• Use our online guides to find lists for the College Archives , Manuscript Collections, the Rockwell Kent Collection , and the Clinton County Cemetery Index.
• Find full-text news articles in Northern New York Historical Newspapers , including SUNY Plattsburgh student newspapers (1940-2006), the Plattsburgh Sentinel (1866-1931), and the Plattsburgh Republican (1811-1820).
• Find images from our regional collections, including Plattsburgh Barracks and Plattsburgh Normal School photos, in the North Country Digital History Project.
• Visit us in person to find materials that are not online. When visiting, please be aware of our Reading Room Guidelines and other policies.

Our card catalogs index the following items:

• Pamphlet Collection (also indexed in POLARIS)
• Articles in periodicals relating to New York State (also indexed in POLARIS); these contain newspaper and periodical articles (1800-2006) held by Special Collections and relating to the Lake Champlain/Adirondack region.
• Manuscript Collections
• Maps

Services for Visitors

• Reference assistance - expert help is available during all hours that the collection is open.
• Duplication Services - services are available on a 24-hour-turnaround basis for a small fee. No self-service duplication of materials is allowed. Fragile pieces must be transcribed or reproduced photographically.
• Individual and group orientations to the Collection

Contact Information

For more information about Special Collections at SUNY Plattsburgh, please contact:

Debra Kimok, Special Collections Librarian
E-mail (for best results: kimokdm@plattsburgh.edu 
Tel. (518) 564-5206