General Information

The Museum's library consists of a research collection of some 7,000 published titles, a photograph collection of over 400,000 prints, and approximately 4,000 linear feet of non-published documents in a variety of forms. While the collection contains limited material on Worcester County, the primary focus of the collection is the city of Worcester.

Published works include: local and regional histories; Worcester city directories; insurance atlases; biographies and genealogies; Worcester-oriented serial publications from the 19th century to the present; works of Worcester authors; vital records of the towns of Massachusetts up until 1850, Massachusetts records of soldiers and sailors in the French and Indian; Revolutionary and Civil Wars; records of town meetings, and more.

Non-published archival materials include: personal and family papers from the 17th century to the present; business and industrial records from the 18th century to the present; and ephemera, including 19th century valentines. The collection has local, regional, and national significance.

Plan a Visit

Since 1875, WHM Librarians have been working to acquire materials important for the study of Worcester’s history. Because many of these materials are fragile and irreplaceable, we have established policies and procedures to ensure that they will be available for scholarly research for future generations.

Hours

Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Every fourth Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Admission to the Library is free for members and is included in the regular Museum admission fee of $5.00. Researchers can determine if WHM has material relevant to their project by contacting the librarian.

Appointments are strongly recommended for the viewing of any archival manuscript, maps, and photographs.

Contact Information

Phone: 508-753-8278 ext. 105

Email: library@worcesterhistory.net

Fax: 508-753-9070

Additional Library Services

Research by Mail

For a prepaid fee, a library staff researcher will investigate and respond to questions utilizing sources available in our library and archives. The fee includes the cost of up to 20 photocopied pages of supporting documents. A response will be sent two-to-three weeks following receipt of payment. While we can not guarantee results, we will make every effort to locate the information and to cite the sources consulted. It is recommended that patrons first send an email clearly stating their inquiry. Library staff will do a free preliminary 15 minute search of our collections. After the search is complete, a librarian will indicate if additional research time would be worthwhile and note potential resources and facilities that may further your research endeavor.

Photocopying

Photocopies are provided for research only and are made by and at the discretion of the staff. If photocopying jeopardizes the condition or stability of an item, the photocopy request will be denied. Oversized, fragile or tightly bound items, and bound manuscripts cannot be photocopied. Photocopies are limited to twenty pages per day per patron. No publication or manuscript volume/collection may be copied in its entirety.

Rights & Reproductions

Photocopies made by the library are intended for reference purposes only and may not be reproduced or sold in any form. Those desiring photographic reproductions of library materials or permission to reproduce such images should refer to the photo reproduction page or contact the library directly.

Student and Class Visits

We ask that students at the middle school level or younger visit the library with an adult, such as a teacher or parent, and that the teacher or parent call ahead to discuss briefly the nature of the student's project with a reference librarian. Teachers of college and graduate school classes who would like to schedule a class visit to the library's general collection should contact the museum's librarian Robyn Christensen at robynchristensen@worcesterhistory.net.