Princeton Room

Located on the library’s second floor, the Princeton Room contains the Local History neighborhood. This collection includes a variety of books and information about the history of Princeton, "town and gown" (meaning the municipality and Princeton University), its people and its institutions, as well as maps, census information, local newspapers on microfilm, city directories, and a vertical file with an assortment of uncatalogued clippings, small publications, and ephemera. The resources in this room focus on information for the casual researcher or student wishing to become familiar with Princeton and its history. It also contains materials about the surrounding geographical area that contribute to establishing historical context for the materials about Princeton, as well as general genealogical materials.

Princeton and Local History: A Resource Guide, found on our website, is a detailed guide to the Local History neighborhood and other materials found in the Princeton Room, including how to access our microfilm and historical newspapers, databases and indexes, maps, etc.

Family History and Genealogy: A Resource Guide, found on our website, is a guide to resources for genealogists looking for family history information in Princeton and beyond.

The Princeton Room includes a few pieces of original art of specific importance to Princeton and the library. Along the ceiling edges is a series of thirteen ceramic tile panels depicting scenes from Princeton’s history such as the Mercer Oak, The Witherspoon School, and the Dinky. The panels, created by artist Katherine Hackl, were designed specifically for this space when the current library building was built. There is also a bust of Paul Robeson, created in 1928 by Robeson’s friend, Antonio Salemme, and donated to the library by Mrs. A. N. Spanel in 1986.

Periodically, the Princeton Room hosts exhibitions on a variety of Princeton history topics in collaboration with the Historical Society of Princeton. Many of these go on to become digital exhibitions such as the one from Spring 2023, “A Prologue to the Chapters that Follow: Princeton and Paul Robeson.” This is now available online on the Historical Society of Princeton’s website. Other exhibitions of interest are: "Princeton and Women’s Suffrage: 'The Greatest Question of the Day',” “World War II on the Princeton Home Front“, and “The Princeton Plan: 70 Years of School Integration.”