The Historical Collections Department is a special collection of rare books, journals, documents, photographs, medical instruments and other materials for the study of the history of medicine, especially in Central New York, and the history of SUNY Upstate Medical University and its predecessor schools.

The core of the rare book and journal collection is the original Library of Geneva Medical College (1834-1871), the earliest predecessor of SUNY Upstate Medical University. The book collection contains about 5,000 works published from the 16th century to the present; journal holdings number about 7,500 volumes from the 19th through early 20th centuries.

Primary sources include archival records, photographs, ephemera, and objects documenting the history of SUNY Upstate Medical University and its predecessor schools. Manuscript collections include faculty papers; records of men and women who served in the medical units formed by the College of Medicine during World Wars I and II, information on hospitals and other health service organizations in Syracuse; and the history of medicine, medical education, and the health professions in Central New York.

Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Calling ahead is recommended to be sure that staff is available. Most materials are housed in closed stacks and do not circulate. A circulating collection of books on the History of Medicine, and reference works to support research in the history of medicine, are in open stacks and can be used anytime the library is open. Library hours are available at the following website: http://www.upstate.edu/library/info/hours.php or by calling: (315) 464-4580. Historical Collections is on the 2nd floor of the Health Sciences Library, Weiskotten Hall, 766 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY. 13210. Directions, maps, and parking information is available online at: http://www.upstate.edu/library/info/location.php.

About 5,000 monographs, 16th century to present; 7,500 journal volumes; 80,000 photographs including the negative archive of Upstate’s Medical Photography Department, 1929-1990; ca. 560 linear feet of archival and manuscript holdings including institutional records of SUNY Upstate Medical University and its predecessors, papers of the U. S. Army 52nd General Hospital, the faculty papers; medical instruments; ephemera; and ca. 24 linear feet of biographical and topical files.