Archives and Special Collections

When looking for archival material that is relevant to your research interests, the best place to start is the Beloit College Archives website.

Browse the Archives Catalog using a keyword search. Brainstorm keywords that relate to your topic before beginning your search and try synonyms and related terms to broaden your search results. The search results will pull from the descriptions of all available finding aids in the Archives Catalog.

What is a Finding Aid?

Sometimes called a Collection Guide, a Finding Aid is a descriptive tool used to outline the organization and contents of an archival collection.

Each finding aid will provide a description of:

• The primary creator or collector of the records in a collection
• The contents within each box of a collection
• The types of materials that can be found in a collection
• The topics and dates covered in a collection
• Any restrictions to access and use of a collection

Submitting a Request

If you have identified specific materials by searching the catalog, you can email the College Archivist Emeritus, Fred Burwell (burwellf@beloit.edu). 

You can then arrange an appointment to come in and we will have the materials waiting for you, or we can have a more in-depth conversation about your research topic. Occasionally we are able to provide photocopies or scanned versions of materials.

Research Consultations

If you are struggling to find relevant sources from the Archives Catalog or you are unsure where to look, the College Archivist can help you navigate our holdings. They will also alert you to any restrictions that may affect your use of particular materials. 

To schedule a one-on-one meeting with the College Archivist to discuss archival resources and search strategies for your project, email Fred Burwell (burwellf@beloit.edu).

Due to the renovation of Morse Library, some archival materials are in storage off-site. If you have questions about accessing archival material, please email Fred Burwell at burwellf@beloit.edu.