Policies


Research Rules

  • All materials housed in the History Room must stay in the library. Materials can be taken to the study tables in the main library but returned to the History Room table. A staff member will return them to the proper location once you are finished.

  • No food or drink in the History Room or when handling materials.

  • Pencil only when taking notes and handling materials.

  • Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we ask that all visitors to the History Room please wear a face covering while in the room. The size of the room makes it difficult to social distance so we ask for your patience and cooperation.

Donation Procedure

Are you interested in donating a piece of history to the History Room? We are always interested in new materials that build up our collections. Some recent donations include a pair of brass candlesticks belonging to a Hudson pioneer family, a china head doll belonging to a long time Hudson resident, a reproduction bust of Elbert Hubbard along with several copies of his writings, and a Girl Scout uniform from a Hudson resident. Here are a few of our guidelines for what we are interested in:

  • Is it relevant to Hudson History?

  • Does it hold significance for a family, group, or event in the area?

  • Is it in decent condition?

If you are interested in donating to the History Room:

  • Please contact the library with a description of the item(s).

  • We will determine if they are appropriate and/or relevant for our collection. We accept straight donations as well as some items for sale. If you are interested in selling materials, appropriate compensation will be discussed.

  • If we determine the materials are suitable, we will ask you to sign a Deed of Gift form transferring ownership of the item to the History Room. If you are unable to physically come to the library to sign this form, it can be emailed or sent through postal mail, as well.

  • We can help arrange to retrieve the materials if you are unable to bring them to the library.

Unfortunately, we do not have a lot of room to hold all of these amazing treasures. We have to be very selective about what we collect. Some types of items we will NOT accept:

  • Old newspapers (unless they portray a very significant event which will be determined by History Room Staff)

  • Duplicate items of current holdings

  • Materials that require significant preservation techniques. We do not have the resources or know-how to keep up with extremely delicate or damaged materials.