Collections and Exhibitions

ARCHES (Academic Repository for Cultural Heritage, Education, and Scholarship) provides access to archival and special collections materials like letters, diaries, and scrapbooks; historical information produced at Union like oral histories; images of works held in the Union College Permanent Collection (UCPC); and digital scholarship work produced by students in partnership with the library.

The Adirondack Research Library serves as a repository for research materials which support the educational mission of the Kelly Adirondack Center of Union College. Materials at the library have a strong focus on the 20th century conservation movement within the Adirondack Park.

Digital Collections @ Union is the clearinghouse for the many collections available online through Schaffer Library. You can view interactive maps, letters, postcards, newspapers architectural plans and more...

View current and past exhibitions in Schaffer Library's Lally Reading room and Beuth Atrium, as well as digital exhibitions online.

The library provides access to over a million print and electronic books and subscribes to more than 100,000 journals, the majority of which are available electronically. Tens of millions of documents owned by the library can be found and accessed through Primo, the library's discovery tool.

The Schaffer Library Federal Documents Collection was first established in 1901. It's the only depository library in Schenectady, but there are several others in the Capital District, including the New York State Library which is a regional depository and receives everything distributed by GPO Library Programs Service.

The Mandeville Gallery is located on the 2nd floor of Union College’s national historic landmark, the Nott Memorial. The Gallery is dedicated to exhibiting the work of nationally recognized contemporary artists and exploring modern issues.

The Special Collections and Archives department of Schaffer Library is an integral part of the Library. It includes the Union College Archives, which holds College records of enduring value, special book collections, manuscripts, maps, photographs, sound recordings, ephemera, three dimensional objects and other primary source materials which document the College’s history, and support and extend its curriculum.

Union College holds over 3,000 works of art and material culture in the Permanent Collection, including significant cultural resources from internationally recognized artists and objects from Eastern and Ancient cultures. Our strongest holdings are Works on Paper, 19th Century Portraits, Asian Collections and Antique Scientific Instruments including the Olivier Models. To view our online repository of works, visit https://arches.union.edu/PermanentCollection

You can view academic, scientific and creative content produced by Union College faculty, students, and staff on this institutional repository. Examples include honors theses, posters and presentations, peer-reviewed series, and faculty materials.

Discover our themed selection of featured books from our catalog throughout the years at Schaffer Library. Such themes include Black History Month, Earth Day, Indigenous People's Day, and more!