Visiting the Archive

The Center will be closed for in-person research appointments beginning December 11, 2023 due to a construction project at the School of Nursing. 

Plan your visit

Cadet Corps Student Nurses Eileen Duffy, Jeanne Simpson, Eleanor Snoke, and Jean Gerhard, Class of 1945. Alumni Association of Philadelph... Cadet Corps Student Nurses Eileen Duffy, Jeanne Simpson, Eleanor Snoke, and Jean Gerhard, Class of 1945. Alumni Association of Philadelphia General Hospital Training School for Nurses photographs, 1885-1977. Location & Hours

The Center is located in Suite 2U, Claire M. Fagin Hall, 418 Curie Boulevard. The building is handicap accessible

The Barbara Bates Center and Ellen D. Baer Reading Room are open to researchers by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (closed daily from 1:00 - 2:00 PM and official University holidays). Please reach out to schedule an appointment prior to your visit. 

To preserve our collections, no bags, food, or drinks are permitted in the Ellen D. Baer Reading Room. Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult. 

Before your visit

Researchers must make an appointment at least two weeks prior to visiting by emailing nhistory@nursing.upenn.edu. Walk-in researchers cannot be accommodated and appointments must be confirmed by staff member.

Researchers should consult the Online finding aids to the Center’s collections and provide staff with a full listing of requesting research materials, including collection name, box number, folder number and series (if applicable).

If you have never used our archives, you will need to review the Reading Room Rules on the researcher application. All researchers must fill out and sign an application prior to their visit. A valid form of photo identification must accompany the signed application in order to access the archives for the first time in a calendar year.

Members of our archival staff are available to conduct research as a fee-based service on a case by case basis. Please contact nhistory@nursing.upenn.edu for more information.

The Center reserves the right to review all archive requests for restricted access, box counts, and scheduling availability.

Guide to the archive

Returning visitors

If you have been to an archive before but need a refresher guide on what information is on a finding aid, check out our Quick Guide.

Download Quick Guide

New visitors

If you have never visited an archive before, we recommend learning the parts of a finding aid to help you plan your visit.

Download Guide to Finding Aid

Need help guiding your research to make your visit more efficient?

Consider these questions:

  • What’s your paper/research topic? Identify and clarify which questions you intend to answer as you research.
  • What are you looking to find at the archive?
  • After reviewing the finding aids, which collections do you want to look at?
  • What are you looking for in these collections? What themes are you hoping to uncover?
  • Are there specific types of documents (letters, reports, etc.) that you would like to view?

Contact

Barbara Bates Center and Ellen D. Baer Reading Room
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Claire M. Fagin Hall
418 Curie Boulevard, Suite 2U
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4217
215-898-4502

By appointment only
Monday - Friday: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Closed daily from 1:00 - 2:00 PM and
official University holidays.

Email to schedule an appointment nhistory@nursing.upenn.edu