The Archives & Local History department (ALH) at Douglas County Libraries (DCL) is open by appointment only for the foreseeable future, but what does that mean for you? Following is a look at the different resources ALH has on demand and when and how you would make an appointment with our staff.
Reading Room
The ALH Reading Room in DCL’s Castle Rock location is always open when the library is open. That means you can access all of ALH’s circulating and reference collections available in the Reading Room during library business hours. Our circulating collection, or materials that you are able to check out, includes books on archives, genealogy, local and regional history, some yearbooks, and some local history DVDs. You can also request these materials through the DCL catalog and pick them up at your preferred DCL location.
Our Reading Room reference collection must be used in the Reading Room at Castle Rock, but it is available anytime the library is open. These materials include:
- Local, regional, and state maps and atlases.
- Microform reader and a collection of regional newspapers on microfilm.
- Subject binders of news clippings collected and organized by ALH staff. Use these to easily locate information on common Douglas County history topics.
- Colorado Heritage, Southwestern Lore, and other history journals.
- Indexes of local cemetery, obituary, and marriage records.
- Other local history indexes, study copies, and published resources.
Online
ALH also offers many great resources online that you can access from home via our website at archives.dcl.org. You can:
- Browse and download historical photographs.
- Listen to and read oral histories with Douglas County residents and veterans.
- View historical aerial photographs of Douglas County.
- Access the Douglas County Genealogy Database.
- Read various research documents on local history topics, including town histories, schools, and more.
- Access digital copies of archival resources, like historical school census records.
- View finding aids or guides to ALH archival collections.
- Access our guide to genealogy resources.
- Access our guide to all ALH resources.
By Appointment
If you still need help from Archives staff, you can call, email, or submit a question to us at any time. We can work with you over the phone or via email to assist you with research requests and help you find information you need without setting up an appointment.
However, archival collections and biographical files are housed in our closed stacks and can only be retrieved by Archives staff. If you need to access these materials, you must make an in-person appointment with our team.
Items you can only access via appointment include:
- Any materials stored in the Archives vault. This includes all manuscript collections, rare books, and many maps.
- Biographical and Site files.
- If you are unsure whether something is available in the Reading Room or not, please reach out to us to check!
Please keep the following in mind when scheduling an appointment with ALH staff:
- Plan ahead. Appointments must be made at least one day in advance to allow our staff to prepare for and accommodate your request.
- Appointments are available on weekdays, Monday-Friday, from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
- ALH staff are available for 30-minute appointments. However, you may stay in the Reading Room after your appointment and complete research or work on your own if needed.
- Please be on time. There is a 10-minute window for arrival; if you don’t arrive within those 10 minutes your appointment will be canceled. We are spacing out appointments in our small Reading Room and cannot accommodate two appointments at once. Please be timely.
- Please wear a mask and respect social distancing guidelines during your appointment.