Access to the collection is supervised and appointments are encouraged to guarantee access.  Appointments can be made online or by calling the Information Desk at 845-687-5208.

The materials in the collection have been gathered in an attempt to preserve the records of the community and to make them available to students, faculty, staff and county residents for historical research.  While not every item in the collection is a rare or valuable one, many are irreplaceable.  The loss or destruction of any item would greatly reduce the research value of the collection as a whole.  Please regard every item as a valuable one and exercise care in using the collection and handling the materials.

• Access to the collection is supervised and appointments are encouraged to guarantee access.  Selected individuals who have been identified by the librarian responsible for the collection will be permitted walk-in privileges.  All individuals using the collection are expected to sign in upon each visit. 
• Materials from the collection do not circulate except with special permission. 
• Photocopying of materials is possible only with permission.  Certain items cannot be photocopied.
• Reprints and newly published materials relating to local history may also be found in the Library’s General Collection.
• Questions regarding this policy should be addressed to the Director of Library Services.

Special Collections at Macdonald DeWitt Library consist primarily of items related to local history.

The Local History Collection was formally established in 1972 in order to offer students and faculty opportunity for historical research as well as to meet the need for local history information in the community.  The collection emphasizes material relating to Ulster County but also includes history of neighboring counties, the Hudson Valley and the Catskills Region and selected materials which treat the general history of the state.  The majority of materials collected are books, however the collection also contains maps, postcards, and a large file of pamphlets, articles and newspaper clippings.  Many unique items such as early census surveys, celebration publications, and documents relating to the Ashokan Reservoir, brochures from Lake Minnewaska and the Mohonk Mountain House are among the collection.

Special Collections at Macdonald DeWitt Library also has a small number of items related to the history of Ulster County Community College itself.