The William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections
Upcoming closures/changes to hours:
- Mondays, September-December (we will resume Monday hours in 2025)
Please contact the ref account or fill out the material request form below to make an appointment.
We are the principal repository for rare books, archives, antiquarian maps, and related historical material for the McMaster University Libraries.
To view material in Archives and Research Collections (in the lower level of Mills Library) please fill out the material request form or email us at archives@mcmaster.ca.
Our Collections
Our Collections
Quick links
Helpful Guides
Grants
Visiting
A one month resident fellowship in 18th Century Studies.
Research travel grant.
Travel grant for researchers in Canadian history.
Exhibits & Lectures
Exhibits
"Wherein She Plainly Shews":
Women of the Printing Trades in the Hand Press era
Visit in person or online!
Archives Alive
The Archives Alive is a short lecture series highlighting archives and rare books in our collection.
About
Contact Us
Email: archives@mcmaster.ca
Phone: 905-525-9140 ext 22789
Fax: 905-522-0691
Attn: Research Collections
Mills Memorial Library
Lower Level, Room LB 101
McMaster University
1280 Main St. W.
Hamilton, ON L8S 4L6
Canada
FAQ
FAQ
Not finding the answer to your question? Send us a message: archives@mcmaster.ca
We are located on McMaster's Main Campus in Mills Memorial Library on the Lower Level.
Elevator number 2 and the central stairwell next to that elevator will take you down to our lobby and exhibit area.
Please enter through the wooden doors into the Reading Room and a staff member will greet you.
Sticking points: the wooden door into the reading room is not intuitive, turn the handle and push (we still have a hard time with this). There is no automated button, if you are carrying a number of things, or are using a mobility device, this door may be difficult. Please don't hesitate to let us know you are coming and we will prop the door open. Or wave at us through the the window.
Note: September-December 2024, we will be closed Mondays. We will return to our regular hours in 2025 as stated below.
Monday to Friday, 10am - 4pm (1000-1600). Please submit retrieval requests 3-5 business days in advance. This allows us to retrieve any material that might be offsite and check the material for handling concerns. Please fill in this form to request the materials.
We close for all statutory and university holidays and for two weeks at the end of August. When planning your visit, please consult the Hours or contact us to confirm.
Everyone. We are here to support research, teaching, and learning through our collections no matter who you are.
We are happy to help you as best we can, but keep in mind we're not a travel service.
- Directions to campus if arriving by car, plane, or bus from another city
- Hamilton Street Railway (HSR - city bus)
- Buses to the Library - 5A Delaware, 1A King (no evenings/weekends), 51 University (September-April)
- Stop name: Sterling at University
- Buses to South Campus (about a five minute walk to the library): 5 Delaware; 10 B-Line (express bus)
- Stop name: Main at Emerson
- Buses to the Library - 5A Delaware, 1A King (no evenings/weekends), 51 University (September-April)
There are many parking options for a range of price and convenience. Lot B and the Underground parking at L.R. Wilson are closest to the Library (building 10)
Parking Services - rates, how to pay, etc.
Parking Map
On campus options - some of these may be limited by time of year
Off campus - There are few hotels in walking distance to campus, however the campus is well served by the city bus service (HSR) and there are numerous options downtown and elsewhere that would work well.
Yes. Please fill out the materials request form to indicate when you would like to come and what you would like to look at.
This will allow us to retrieve your material, setup wifi if you need it, identify potential access issues, and request material from offsite. We request 3-5 days notice, but will accommodate shorter turnaround times if we can. There is room for 6-8 researchers or small groups at one time, booking in advance helps guarantee your preferred time and date.
Walk-in researchers cannot be accommodated immediately and may have to return the following day. Please book in advance using the form above. If you are not certain about what you would like to see or have questions, don't hesitate to email us and we are happy to advise: archives@mcmaster.ca.
We have a great guide to how to search for a request material. When you have found what you are interested in, please fill out the materials request form or if you need more help contact us at archives@mcmaster.ca.
For archives please identify the title of the Archive you wish to look at and the box numbers by consulting the finding aids linked from the Archives Database.
eg. I would like to see the Vera Brittain fonds, boxes 34-38, and 40.
For books, please provide title, author, and call number or the link to the catalogue record to the book or books you would like to view.
You are welcome to take your own photos for reference after you leave the archives. Note that you are responsible for securing copyright if you wish to use these beyond reference purposes.
For personal scanners, it depends on how they operate. Please contact us to confirm.
There are some general Reading Room Rules as well as Handling Guidelines. In addition, we've tried to cover other sorts of things here:
Noise level - the reading room is a relatively quiet space. While it is not a silent area, we do try to maintain a respectful level of audio, aware that researchers can only look at the material here. We have ear plugs available, but if you are sensitive to noise, you may want to bring your own headphones or other devices. There are often small groups conducting research together, tours, or classes passing through the area.
Food and drink - no food or drink (including water) can be permitted at the reading room tables. If you bring such items with you, we ask you to keep them in your bag and take them outside the reading room to consume.
Lunch - But you will need to eat! There are food and beverage vending machines on the second floor of the Library. If you are looking for places to eat on campus, the library is directly adjacent to the busy Student Centre (MUSC), which has a cafeteria and other options. There is also the campus pub (the Phoenix) and a variety of other options on campus. There are a number of options off campus. Head East along Sterling St, and enjoy a 10-15 minute walk through the residential neighbourhood around campus to Westdale, with a variety of shops and places to eat (or a very short bus ride - see buses to the library under 'Getting to Campus'). Or a slightly shorter walk South through campus and across busy Main Street where there is a Starbuck's, Subway, William's, Pinks Burgers, and other options.
Drinking fountain and washroom facilities - These are located one level above the archives on the ground floor. The fountain has a bottle filler as well as a spout.
Electrical outlets and computer terminals - The tables are equipped with outlets on the table top as well as usb ports for powering and charging your devices. There is a single public terminal for accessing finding aids and the library catalogue.
Wifi and Internet access - You can use wifi through Eduroam or we can set you up a guest account. The latter may take some time, and we would appreciate it if you could let us know in advance to avoid delay.
Temperature - Typically, the Reading Room is on the cool side, however it can fluctuate in either direction. In the summer, it can be quite cold, especially compared to the hot and humid air outside. We recommend that you bring an extra sweater and that you dress in layers to help keep yourself comfortable regardless of the temperature.
Personal belongings - We ask you to leave your personal belongings in the coat rack located next to the reference desk. If you bring your bag to your desk, please keep it on the floor.
Note-taking - Please bring your own personal computer or paper to record your notes in. We have pencils and a sharpener, but you are welcome to bring your own. We ask you not to use pens, markers, or similar while working with our material as they cannot be removed if accidentally marked.
At present, we are not the official archives of the University. We have yearbooks both here and in the library upstairs, which you are welcome to look through, but we do not have student records. Please direct inquiries to the alumni or registrar's office.
We have a small amount of records relating to some of the faculties and departments. We do not have old exam papers.
To get a better sense of what McMaster records we do have, please consult this archival box listing and contact our staff.
Hamilton Health Sciences and the Faculty of Health Sciences has its own archive for historical records located in the Health Sciences Library.
Please see the Health Sciences website for details.
The William Ready Division houses the records for the Anglican Diocese of Niagara. We have the baptismal, confirmation, marriage, and burial records for the churches in that area.
If you know which church the records are housed in, you may want to start with this listing of parishes to identify the register and microfilm reel you need or contact us to get help with where to begin.
Gillian Dunks
Archives Arrangement and Description Librarian
Karen Pavão
Library Assistant, Archives and Research Collections
Ruth-Ellen St. Onge
Distinctive Collections Cataloguing Librarian
Wade Wyckoff
Associate University Librarian, Distinctive, Legacy, and Digital Heritage Collections
Rare Maps
The Rare Map collection and First and Second World War Trench map collections are house in the Ready Division, but access and support is provided through the Lloyd Reed Maps Department.
Please consult Historical and Rare Maps guides.
Mission Statement
The William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections is the principal repository for rare books, archives, antiquarian maps, and related historical material at McMaster University in support of teaching, education, and scholarship.
The Division serves a broad range of users, including McMaster students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as a national and international community of researchers and scholars, and members of the general public, both locally and beyond. Archives and Research Collections aims to collect materials that will support the research and teaching activities of the McMaster community and to be an engaged participant in the scholarly work of the University.
Conservation Lab
See some of the extraordinary work done by our conservation lab!