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Welcome to Williams Libraries: About

First-Year Library Guide

          A purple and yellow label reading Williams Libraries is comprised of three libraries with a line drawing representing a mountain range

A purple and yellow label reading Sawyer, Humanities and Social Sciences Collections

Sawyer Library is a nexus for collaborative learning, social interaction, and intellectual engagement. Home to the humanities and social sciences collections, the library juxtaposes the oldest and rarest of books with state-of-the-art technology and digital collections.

A purple and yellow label reading Schow, STEM collections

Schow Science Library is named for Howard B. Schow, Williams Class of 1950 and is located in the Science Center. The library contains book and journal collections in the fields of astronomy, physics, biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, geosciences and psychology. Schow Science Library has a collection of over 100,000 volumes, seating for approximately 250 individuals, nine study rooms, an instruction lab and two classrooms.

A purple and yellow label reading Special Collections, College Archives and Chapin Library (rare books)

The Special Collections Department advances the mission of Williams College by connecting rare books and manuscripts to teaching, research, and creative expression. The College Archives documents the widest possible range of experiences that inform the history of Williams. The Chapin Library collects books, manuscripts, and other primary sources from antiquity to the present, as a foundation of learning for the Williams liberal arts curriculum.