As a result of some unexpected and time sensitive resource and personnel matters, the Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections will need to close to all research bookings and reference inquiries from Wednesday 13 May until
Tuesday 30 June 2026.
- ONLY appointments and class sessions booked and confirmed with archivists prior to 6 May 2026 will [...]
Arsenic in the Archives: Victorian Emerald Green Cloth Bindings
When recently unboxing a rare book, I was struck by the bright green cloth of the binding. Immediately after I washed my hands and grabbed a pair of gloves. Recent research has confirmed the presence of arsenic in pigments used during book production, leading to changes in handling and access guidelines for many institutions. One [...]
Key Acquisitions: Early Printed Books
Over the summer the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections acquired two early printed books. The first was Incipit liber sancti ihe[r]onimi De sc[ri]ptorib[us] ecclesiasticis, otherwise known as De viris illustribus. It is comprised of brief biographies of Church leaders written over the course of centuries by three different authors. The first part was written [...]
Recently described acquisitions
The following archival records have recently been processed and described, and are now available for research.
F0769 - Wanda MacNevin collection documents the activities of the social worker, activist and author who lived and worked in the Jane and Finch community for sixty years.
F0743 - Regent Park Film Festival fonds contains material from Toronto's longest-running free-of-charge [...]
Woman of the world: Jeanette Heller
Jeanette Heller danced, served (in the armed forces), and defied the norms of her time. She lived a life of adventure as a dancer and performing arts worker. From the time she was 16 years old in 1929, she was dancing professionally and continued to work in the industry as a producer and costume designer [...]
York University’s Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences 2023
THE LIBRARIES PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN YORK’S 2023 CONGRESS of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Librarians provided workshops and lectures as part of Congress and our spaces were central to Congress activities. Scott Library hosted all the President’s evening receptions. We also curated and hosted several exhibits from our archives: York library exhibits to [...]

