Jane C. Sween Research Library and Special Collections

 

The Jane C. Sween Research Library and Special Collections is located at the Beall-Dawson Historical Park in Rockville. Named in honor of its first librarian–researcher, current volunteer, and author Jane C. Sween–the library strives to collect, preserve, and make available the rich history of Montgomery County and its residents in the form of primary and secondary resources related to local history and genealogy. 

Due to the current pandemic, the Library is closed to patrons.

However, we are still able to process remote research requests.

Please contact the Librarian/Archivist or visit our remote research page for more information.

 

 

Search our Collections

Get a jump-start on your research by exploring descriptions of our collections material, or viewing actual documents and articles available to researchers online.

 

 

 

Remote Research Services

Research services and scanning services are available from the staff for reasonable fees, depending on the nature of the request. Visit the link above, and email the Librarian for more information.

 

 

 

For more information, contact:

Sarah Hedlund, Archivist/Librarian

archive@montgomeryhistory.org

301-340-2974

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visit the Library

Normally, our Librarian and dedicated team of experienced volunteers are happy to assist you with your research, but we are currently closed to the public to continue to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The library is located on the same campus as the Beall-Dawson House, Stonestreet Museum, and Montgomery History administrative offices, off W. Montgomery Avenue in downtown Rockville. Parking is available for free in our lots off Middle Lane, as well as on the street (2-hour limit).

Location:  The street address of the library is 42 W. Middle Lane, between N. Adams St. and N. Van Buren St. in Rockville, MD.

Hours:  Wednesday through Friday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, and Saturday 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Closed on federal holidays. The Library also follows the Montgomery County Public Schools in closing for hazardous weather conditions.

Fees and Services: The Library charges a daily research fee to cover expenses. We also charge fees for duplication of materials as outlined below.

Daily Research Fee:

$5 adults / $3 seniors and students / Montgomery History members free!

Duplication Fees: 

$0.25/page for photocopies of materials

$10.00/image for re-scanned digital photographs (higher than 300 dpi)

 

Rules for the Reading Room:

  • No food or drink allowed. Water may be carried inside a closed container, but must be consumed away from the tables.
  • Large purses or backpacks must be left in the cabinet near the entrance.
  • Please use pencil only for note-taking– no ink pens will be allowed on the tables.
  • Laptops and phones/cameras are allowed. Please turn any notification sounds off to respect the concentration of other patrons.
  • When using vertical files or family files, please retain the order of the materials and keep them oriented the way you found them.
  • Please do not reshelve or refile materials– return all books to the cart and leave file folders and other materials on the tables. Staff will put them away for you.