Mission
The Jack and Shirley Silver Special Collections Library supports the UVM Libraries' mission to further the creation, application, and dissemination of knowledge by providing access to research materials relating to the study of Vermont, the history of the University of Vermont, and the history of the book as a form of humanistic expression. As an important link in the network of institutions responsible for maintaining the documentary record of Vermont, Special Collections preserves these materials for the use of current and future researchers. Special Collections also serves as the repository for the printed treasures of the Libraries that are extremely valuable or fragile.
Collections
The Silver Special Collections Library maintains a comprehensive Vermont research collection, institutional records and other information about the University of Vermont, and an eclectic rare book collection. Our collections support a diverse community of researchers that includes students, faculty, scholars, local historians, consultants, and journalists.
Instruction
Special Collections has an active instruction program that provides students at all levels and in a wide range of disciplines with hands-on educational opportunities using materials from our collections.
Events and Exhibits
Publications
Our Home
Since 2018, Jack and Shirley Silver Special Collections has been located in the Billings Library, an architectural landmark designed by H. H. Richardson and completed in 1886. Our reading room is on the second level, and classroom and exhibit spaces are located on the third level. Special Collections shares the historic building with the Humanities Center, the Miller Center for Holocaust Studies, and the Center for Research on Vermont on the fourth level.