Friends Historical Library :: Swarthmore College
Source: https://www.swarthmore.edu/friends-historical-library
Archived: 2026-04-23 15:39
Friends Historical Library :: Swarthmore College
Skip to main content
Friends Historical Library
Department Overview
We are open to anyone who would like to explore our collections. Special Collections staff are available to answer questions during reading room hours. Please make an appointment to use our primary sources and historical materials in our reading room.
Visitors to campus should use this
visitor form
to schedule an appointment
Swarthmore College faculty, students, and staff may
book a campus community appointment
.
Please see our
Visit Special Collections webpage
for more information about parking and transportation, local dining and lodging, campus maps, and other information.
Friends Historical Library was established in 1871 to collect, preserve, and make available archival, manuscript, printed, and visual records concerning the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) from their origins in the mid-seventeenth century to the present. Friends Historical Library is one of the outstanding research facilities for the study of Quaker history
Besides our focus on Quaker history, FHL is a significant research collection for the regional and local history of the middle-Atlantic region of the United States and the history of American social reform. Quakers played prominent roles in almost every major reform movement in American history, including abolition, African-American history, Indigenous rights, women's rights, prison reform, humane treatment of the mentally ill, and temperance. The collections also reflect the significant role Friends played in the development of science, technology, education, and business in Britain and America. The Library additionally maintains the collections of the
Swarthmore Historical Society
.
Manuscript Discovery
Learn the story behind a recent donation, which included a 1773 map of Mid Atlantic Quaker Meetings, and the draft found behind the frame.
Read the story
Contact Information
Address
McCabe Library, First Floor
Swarthmore College
500 College Avenue
Swarthmore, PA 19081
Book an appointment
Email
Phone
610-328-8496
Social Media
Friends Facebook
Additional Site Navigation
Social Media Links
Additional Navigation Links
Alumni Resources & Events
Athletics & Recreation
Campus Calendar
Giving
Libraries
Parent & Family Resources
Social Media Links
Helpful Information
The Dash
Dining Hall Hours
Next Trains to Philadelphia
guides
Swarthmore Traditions
How to Plan Your Classes
The Swarthmore Bucket List
Search the website
Skip to main content
Friends Historical Library
Department Overview
We are open to anyone who would like to explore our collections. Special Collections staff are available to answer questions during reading room hours. Please make an appointment to use our primary sources and historical materials in our reading room.
Visitors to campus should use this
visitor form
to schedule an appointment
Swarthmore College faculty, students, and staff may
book a campus community appointment
.
Please see our
Visit Special Collections webpage
for more information about parking and transportation, local dining and lodging, campus maps, and other information.
Friends Historical Library was established in 1871 to collect, preserve, and make available archival, manuscript, printed, and visual records concerning the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) from their origins in the mid-seventeenth century to the present. Friends Historical Library is one of the outstanding research facilities for the study of Quaker history
Besides our focus on Quaker history, FHL is a significant research collection for the regional and local history of the middle-Atlantic region of the United States and the history of American social reform. Quakers played prominent roles in almost every major reform movement in American history, including abolition, African-American history, Indigenous rights, women's rights, prison reform, humane treatment of the mentally ill, and temperance. The collections also reflect the significant role Friends played in the development of science, technology, education, and business in Britain and America. The Library additionally maintains the collections of the
Swarthmore Historical Society
.
Manuscript Discovery
Learn the story behind a recent donation, which included a 1773 map of Mid Atlantic Quaker Meetings, and the draft found behind the frame.
Read the story
Contact Information
Address
McCabe Library, First Floor
Swarthmore College
500 College Avenue
Swarthmore, PA 19081
Book an appointment
Phone
610-328-8496
Social Media
Friends Facebook
Additional Site Navigation
Social Media Links
Additional Navigation Links
Alumni Resources & Events
Athletics & Recreation
Campus Calendar
Giving
Libraries
Parent & Family Resources
Social Media Links
Helpful Information
The Dash
Dining Hall Hours
Next Trains to Philadelphia
guides
Swarthmore Traditions
How to Plan Your Classes
The Swarthmore Bucket List
Search the website