College of William and Mary Libraries

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• Name — Earl Gregg Swem Library • Country — United States of America • Type — Academic • Established — 1966 • Location — Williamsburg, VA • Website — https: libraries.wm.edu/

Detailed discussions of plans for the library were held in 1963 and the groundbreaking ceremonies were held later that year on October 11, 1963, at Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall. The actual groundbreaking occurred a few weeks after the ceremonies. The cornerstone of the library was laid on October 22, 1964, and the building was scheduled for completion around December 1965. The building officially opened on January 4, 1966, although it was not fully complete. The official dedication ceremony for the library was held on Charter Day, February 12, 1966. The Tucker-Coleman Room of the library was dedicated on November 11, 1966. At the time of its completion, the ground floor of Swem Library contained the Botetourt Gallery, an auditorium, the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture offices, a rare book room, an honors room, a museum, an audio/visual department, a film preview room, and a faculty lounge. The first floor contained a reserve room, an after-hours reading room, a reference department, and typing and meeting rooms. The second floor contained administration rooms, conference rooms, and stacks. There was a fire in the Botetourt Theater in 1972 that destroyed a projection booth. A Micro Computer Lab opened in the library on February 13, 1984. Construction officially began on an addition to the front of the library on March 3, 1986, to provide extra stack space, reading areas, administrative offices, and a 24-hour study room and snack area. O.K. James Construction Co. led construction. The addition was dedicated on February 5, 1988. A seven-year renovation and expansion was officially completed in 2005 with rededication ceremonies officially marking the completion on February 5, 2005, during the college's Charter Day weekend.

The mission of the Manuscripts area of Special Collections is to provide primary source material for William & Mary faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and visiting scholars and researchers. The Manuscripts Collections are primarily focused on Virginia history from the 17th to the 21st centuries. They include the papers of many famous alumni and individuals who have shaped the course of Virginia and the nation. Among them are: • Virginia Family Papers including the Blows, the Galts, the Taliaferros, the Tylers, the Blairs, the Robbs, the Carters, and the Armisteads. • The Tucker - Coleman Collection. • Local History and Genealogy Collections including the Williamsburg Historic Records Association and the Tyree Collection. • Distinguished Alumni Papers that include those of Thomas Jefferson.

Besides the main building, Swem Library also has several branch libraries on campus.

There are four campus libraries that are part of Swem, but are housed within their respective departments: • Chemistry • Business • Music • Physics

These libraries are not organizationally part of Swem Library, but, with the exception of the Learning Resource Center, do share the library catalog: • Henry C. Wolf Law Library • Learning Resource Center (Education) • Hargis Library (Virginia Institute of Marine Science) • Richard Bland College Library • Philosophy Department Library

The Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) of the Earl Gregg Swem Library of William & Mary defines the history of the university and promotes and preserves the scholarly pursuits of its faculty, students, alumni, visiting scholars, and friends. The SCRC contributes to the college's scholarly reputation by providing the rare books and unique manuscript and archival materials that make primary research possible. The SCRC is located in the Warren E. Burger Special Collections Wing of Swem Library.

The University Archives is the memory of William & Mary, documenting its history from before the founding in 1693 to the present. The wide variety of materials relating to the college and its people through the years includes official records created in the college's daily operations, photographs, publications, video and audio tape recordings, personal papers and books or articles written by or about past or current William & Mary people, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and artifacts.

The Warren E. Burger Collection consists of the lifetime professional and personal papers and memorabilia of the late Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, as well as of related acquisitions, collected by the college. The Warren E. Burger papers were given to William & Mary by his son, Wade A. Burger in 1996. Warren Burger served as the 20th chancellor of William & Mary from 1986-1993.