The Hampshire College archives were established in 1980 by President Adele Simmons, who recognized the archives as the repository for historical records of the College, including confidential records requiring controlled access.
The Hampshire College archives chronicles the history of Hampshire College from 1970 to today, and is comprised of unique collections including materials by and about Hampshire College founders, faculty, staff, and alumni, programs, offices, publications, photographs, oral histories, and artifacts. These records are produced in the course of day-to-day operations and transferred to the archives when no longer in daily use by the originating office or group. This material forms a documentary record of the history and functioning of the College.
Collections are described in online finding aids
Division IIIs are available online in Five College Compass: Digital Collections
Select collections have been digitized and are available online in Five College Compass: Digital Collections
Unique materials with a more artistic focus are cataloged and available in the Museums 10 database
A selection of Hampshire internet publications, and material published on the internet about Hampshire College, is available through the Internet Archive
The mission of the Hampshire College Archives and Special Collections is to preserve and make accessible the records of Hampshire College as well as the creative and scholarly output of its students and faculty. In The Making of a College, by Franklin Patterson and Charles R. Longsworth, the authors refer to the library as the "educative aorta of the College." The Hampshire College Archives and Special Collections is an important part of the heart of the College, providing access to institutional heritage.