USMA Library Archives and Special Collections

Class Visits

USMA Archives and Special Collections supports the West Point curriculum with a variety of unique materials and primary source documents. We work with classes across many departments and tailor the materials and lesson to suit the needs of the instructor. To learn more about how we can support your class, fill out the following form.

Research Visits

Not sure where to start? Review our West Point Resources research guide and our general Military Resources research guide for helpful information and tools to get you going. 

See the calendar below for Archives and Special Collections hours.

USMA Archives and Special Collections are open to Cadets, Faculty, and Staff for walk-ins or by appointment. We are happy to support your research needs for coursework, theses, or personal interest. To make an appointment or contact our librarians, send us an email at arch-spec@usmalibrary.org.

USMA Archives and Special Collections are open to external researchers by appointment only. We require at least two weeks notice when scheduling appointments. To make an appointment or contact our staff with research and resource questions, send us an email at arch-spec@usmalibrary.org.

For all researchers, once you have found materials in our collections that you would like to consult, follow these steps to request access to them in our reading room.

First, register for a researcher account in Aeon. Once you have created an account, follow these steps to request materials:

1. Search the USMA library catalog via Scout.
2. Click on the “Special Handling Required” link. You will be redirected to your Aeon account.
3. Once logged in, your request will be pre-populated in a “New Request Form.”  Fill in any additional relevant information and click submit.

If you cannot find the resource you need in the online catalog, you can make a manual request by accessing your Aeon account, selecting “New Request,” and inputting all relevant information.

Materials will be kept on hold for 7 days. If you are unable to visit the reading room within that time, please contact us.

For assistance finding and requesting any materials that do not appear in our catalog, or if you have any additional questions regarding our holdings, appointments, or reading room procedures, please contact us at arch-spec@usmalibrary.org.

Reading Room Rules

Before visiting, please review our Reading Room rules and familiarize yourself with all reading room policies. The items in our collection are often very old, fragile, and unique. It is our mission to preserve them for future generations, just as they have been preserved until now.