BCC Archives & Special Collections

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The Archives physical spaces are closed for the remainder of the COVID-19 disruption. The Archives will continue to serve the public remotely online. Send all email requests for records and research inquiries to Head of Archives, Cynthia Tobar at Cynthia.Tobar@bcc.cuny.edu. While we are closed, we invite the public to explore our digital and oral history collections, view our online exhibits and educational resources by visiting this site as well as our Libguide at http://bcc-cuny.libguides.com/archives.

BCC Collections

The BCC Archives has teamed up with the Journal of a Plague Year: An Archive of Covid-19 (JOTPY) to contribute stories on their completely digital archive to collect from communities traditionally underrepresented in historical accounts during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are a part of......

19 January, 2021 /

BCC Archives Partners with Urban Archive The Bronx Community College Archives has teamed up with Urban Archive to make our photo collection available online and promote original works of history by students and faculty.   Urban Archive makes thousands of historical photos of New York......

24 February, 2021 /

The Archives’ purpose for this oral history project is to collect the vivid and provocative memories of BCC from students, faculty, staff and alumni. This collective effort will include several voices: from the student who struggled against all odds to get their degree, to the......

23 February, 2019 /

The Bronx Community College Ephemera Collection consists of promotional materials, brochures and general information on scheduled and prospective musical performances and lecture held with Gould Memorial Library, and a small number of studio recordings of Bronx Community College functions....

20 February, 2019 /

Dr. Carolyn Grubbs Williams is the first female to serve as the leader of the Bronx Community College of The City University of New York. She was named its sixth president in June 1996. The Carolyn G. Williams collection consists of awards, citations, and gifts given to Dr. Williams during her tenure as President of Los Angeles Southwest College (1992-1996) and President of Bronx Community College (1996-2011). Several of the objects pertain to Dr. Williams’ involvement in organizations such as the National Council on Black American Affairs and the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges. ...

20 February, 2019 /

All faculty senate minutes and related documentation can be found online in the CUNY Institutional Repository, Academic Works, which is openly accessible to the public...

26 February, 2020 /

The Hall of American Artists was a series of 22 busts to honor American artists housed within Gould Memorial Library (GML) at the University Heights campus when it was part of New York University (NYU). When NYU sold the campus in 1973, the busts were moved out of GML. The busts currently reside at NYU on display in the Bobst Galley or in fine arts storage....

20 February, 2019 /

The Hall of Fame for Great Americans collection consists of over 84 linear feet of photographs and documents related to the selection, election, and media coverage of individuals represented in the Hall of Fame located at Bronx Community College (BCC)....

20 February, 2019 /

The North Hall and Library Collection consists of photographs, posters, and architectural plans collected by Professor David Koenigstein which document the construction of the North Hall and Library building on the campus of Bronx Community College from 2008 until its completion in 2012. The collection includes architectural plans submitted before construction began, photographs taken by Professor Koenigstein, and materials created for a historical exhibit on the subject....

20 February, 2019 /

Many issues of Bronx Community College's student newspaper, The Communicator, has been scanned and can be found in the CUNY Institutional Repository, Academic Works....

26 February, 2020 /

Founded in 1900, The Hall of Fame was the first memorial of its kind in the country, built to honor prominent Americans with a significant impact on this nation’s history. Despite its significance, the Hall can seem at odds with the vibrant community that surrounds it, a relational disparity between the honorees represented and the very diverse student body now attending Bronx Community College (BCC). ...

03 April, 2019 /

BCC yearbooks, between 1961 - 2001 can be found online in the CUNY Institutional Repository, Academic Works...

26 February, 2020 /

HOURS OF OPERATION

*The Archives physical spaces are closed for the remainder of the COVID-19 disruption. The Archives will continue to serve the public remotely online.

*Monday-Thursday: By Appointment Only

*TOURS AND CLASS VISITS ARE AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT or DURING NORMAL LIBRARY HOURS.

Newsletters

  • Spring 2017

    Features exciting new digital and oral history collections.

  • Fall 2020

    Includes Reclaiming the Hall: Amplifying Community Voices at the Hall of Fame Recap

Plan A Visit

What should I expect when conducting research in the Archives? Here are six easy steps to follow to research archival and special collections:

  • Select a topic – person, place, or event.  Your research may have a general theme but it is easiest to research specific people, places, or events.  Look at a few published articles that may provide background information, including our Databases.  If you have questions, contact the Archives or a subject librarian to discuss your research topic.
  • Identify what collection(s) you wish to view and which boxes you wish to see within that collection.  Each finding aid contains an inventory that lists what materials are in the collection and in what boxes they are stored. Decide which boxes you wish to view.  We can place a total of six boxes of material (from one collection or different collections) on reserve for a researcher at one time. As the researcher looks through these and has them discharged, other boxes can be placed on reserve.
  • Contact the Archives. Be sure to email at least 48 hours (2 business days) before you plan to visit with the collection name and box numbers you wish to see. Staff may have to retrieve materials from an off-site location and cannot produce the materials immediately upon request.  The materials will be placed on reserve for you to look at in a study room in the Library.
  • Visit the Library and be prepared to show identification, fill out some paperwork, and store your personal belongings with staff. While all archivists and librarians want you to be able to see this special stuff, we also need to make sure it survives for future generations to experience. We follow these procedures with everyone who wishes to use our materials. Feel free to bring your laptop, books, and paper into the study room.  We recommend that you bring a digital camera with you in case you see material you would like to reproduce – but be sure to ask permission before taking any photographs.
  • Use your head, write with lead.  Bring some pencils with you to the archives because pens are not allowed (have you ever had a pen explode on you before?). When you are using the materials, please do so with care. Pay attention to what you are doing and how you are doing it. If you have any doubts at all about how to handle something, ask. We are always happy to help. Remember, most of these items are one-of-a-kind. If something is ruined, there are often no other copies to be had!
  • Spread the word! After your primary source experience, be sure to tell others about it. The best way to ensure that these exciting, interesting materials stay accessible for years to come is to continue having excited researchers like you. How do we do that? With your help – word of mouth!

Contact Information

Tobar-4357 (1)

Cynthia Tobar

Head of Archives

North Hall and Library
Rm. 246
718.289.5436

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