Collections & Exhibits

The John W. Ramsay Research Library

The John W. Ramsay Research Library exists to collect, preserve, catalog, and facilitate access to media that embody the history and technology of aerospace, in support of the New England Air Museum.

Hours: Every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. All research materials are located in the Reading Room, while the stacks are open only to library personnel.

The all-volunteer library staff consists of a Director, a Research Librarian, and 15 assistants and is available for research inquiries.  A reasonable fee will be charged for research and document reproductions.

The library, comprised of a reference/reading room, work rooms, stacks, archive space and storage, occupies close to 7000 square feet, on two floors of the Civil Aviation hangar.  The collection is organized in the following categories:

AVIATION BOOKS
Approximately 20,000.

TECHNICAL MANUALS
Approximately 5,000 manuals and pilot’s operating handbooks.

AVIATION PERIODICALS
Approximately 97,000 items.

REFERENCE FILES
Approximately 280 linear feet covering 740 aviation topics.

AUDIO/VIDEO MATERIALS
Over 800 VHS tapes, 350 audio tapes, and approximately 730,000 images (on NASM videodiscs).

PHOTOGRAPHS
Approximately 21,000 black and white prints and 7,800 slides.

ARCHIVES
Papers of many New England aviation pioneers, including Burnelli, Whitehead, Wittiman, and others.  Also, historical documents of the Connecticut Aeronautical Historical Association, New England Air Museum, and others.

Email the Library at library@neam.org if you have questions.