Did you ever wish to visit the American Antiquarian Society but have no clue where to start? Have you ever felt intimidated by the marble columns and brick building, thinking that the library is just for professors or scholars? Did you ever go on a public tour on a Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. and want to continue the conversation with staff but do not know how to do so? Or does the timing of our public tours and public programs simply never work for your schedule?
If you’ve asked these questions, a new AAS initiative called “Hold History” might be for you. Curators have selected a variety of materials from our collections and placed them behind the reference desk for anyone to view at any time. All you have to do is visit during our open hours and register as a reader with the expert guidance of our reception and reference staff.
Our curatorial and reference staff will let you handle the collection materials we’ve placed on hold and answer any questions you might have about the materials or doing research at AAS. You might read an eighteenth-century newspaper, hold a nineteenth-century children’s book, or examine an old piece of advertising. Curators will rotate collection items every few months, so there will always be something new to see.
In the past, AAS researchers had to have a defined research project to enter our reading room and speak to reference or curatorial staff. But with “Hold History,” you can visit for just 15 minutes — or all day — without a defined project. You can visit just to handle the pre-selected materials or get inspired for another visit to the library. Maybe you’ll want to launch a whole new project after holding history in your hands. After handling the collections we have selected, you may decide that you want to start researching your family history, create a historical novel, or even write your own work of local history…or something else! We welcome all who would like to visit the Society to “hold history” and start talking with us soon. Bring your family, your friends, or just yourself!