Special Collections
The William Munroe Special Collections abundantly document the Colonial, Revolutionary, and literary history of Concord, Massachusetts and shed light on the full range of Concord individuals (major and minor), events, institutions, and organizations. Printed books, archival and manuscript materials, pamphlets, ephemera, broadsides, maps, photographic and pictorial holdings, municipal records, printed town reports, street directories, vital records, genealogical volumes, historic building files, works of art, artifacts, and other types of material may be all used by the researcher in the Special Collections. Much of the Special Collections is cataloged online, with records available locally through the Minuteman Library Network and internationally through OCLC/FirstSearch.
Concord's Special Collections have grown into the most comprehensive archive of primary and secondary source material related to Concord history, life, landscape, literature, people, and influence from 1635 to the present day. Special Collections officially began with the founding of the Concord Free Public Library in 1873 and the far-sighted request of the Library Committee for citizens to donate material of local significance to ensure "an appropriate gift of the present generation to posterity."
Guidelines For Use
Readers are requested to handle Special Collections materials carefully and to abide by local rules governing their use. No item from the Special Collections may circulate. It is the researcher's responsibility to understand and observe copyright law. Photocopies may be made at staff discretion-- in some cases, only by staff members, depending on the condition or rarity of an item. Arrangements may be made for the preparation of photographs or microfilm on a case-by-case basis, again at staff discretion. For certain types of use, researchers may be asked to complete and sign standardized agreements and/or to pay established fees. Acknowledgments in publications and papers should include citations of the specific item(s) used and reference to the Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library.