We preserve and make accessible materials detailing the history of the Palmer College of Chiropractic, the wider chiropractic profession and related health-care fields for today and future generations.
Main Campus, first floor of the Administration Building, room A105
Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Appointment Preferred
Homecoming
Be sure to stop by the Archives Department on the Main Campus during Homecoming! Books, bags, totes, mugs and more will be available for purchase.
A104 Admin First Floor
Thursday-Friday, Sept. 19-20, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 21, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Directions to Special Collections & Archives: Exit the library and cross the David D. Palmer Learning Commons, heading toward Friendship Court. Once in Friendship Court, turn right and walk as if you were going to leave the building. Pass through the first set of doors and take the stairs to your left. Archives will be open at the end of the halls. View the map.
Resources
We have over 12,500 volumes of printed matter and 5,000 linear feet of archival records:
- Chiropractic and related health care books and journals
- Palmer publications: Green Books, The Fountain-Head News, The Chiropractor, Yearbooks and The Beacon.
- Manuscript papers of Palmer Family and other key chiropractors including oral histories
- Departmental records/correspondence from Palmer College offices
- Textbooks and teaching materials
- Photographs
- Memorabilia and ephemera
- Audiovisual material such as reel-to-reel, cassette tapes, VHS and DVDs
How to find resources:
Library Catalog: Search for books, journals, oral histories and some audiovisual materials.
Chiroindex: Index to Chiropractic Literature is a citation database of peer-reviewed journal articles produced by chiropractic publishers.
Historical Guides: Browse resources, organized by historical subject.
Digital Collections: Digital repository created by the Palmer Archives containing key Palmer publications such as Green Books, Yearbooks and Journals in a searchable flipbook format.
The Upper Mississippi Valley Digital Image Archive: Online visual collection of historical images from local institutions. Includes approximately 200 Palmer images.
General Reference
Reference inquiries can be made via email, by phone at 563-884-5893, or in person.
Our reading room is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. for in-person quiet study of materials. Appointments are preferred. To make an appointment, email or call us. We help you find the resources you need for your historical research.
Reading Room Rules:
- All belongings, including backpacks, are to be left in designated area
- Sign in and out of visitor logbook
- No food or drink
- Use pencil, not pen, when taking notes
- Keep all materials in original order
- Be careful when handling fragile materials
Genealogy Research
Have a family member who went through Palmer? We can find them in our collection of yearbooks, class composites and graduation programs.
To help us find information for you, please provide the following information if possible:
- The date the family member graduated from Palmer. If you do not have an exact date, please give us a date range (i.e., 1920-1924).
- Name of the family member. Bear in mind they may be listed under a different name (i.e., maiden name, so please give all possibilities).
- Location and dates when they first practiced chiropractic. If we know that they started a practice in 1924, we can determine that they attended the school before that point.
- Any additional information, (i.e., birth and death dates, can help if no other information is available).
After the initial inquiry, we consult our matriculation files, graduation programs, yearbooks and class composites.
- Matriculation files: Database listing of students from early 1900s to 1970s.
- Graduation Programs: Our graduation programs range from 1915-Present.
- Yearbooks: Our yearbooks start in 1921 and end in 1988.
- Class Composites: Our class composites range from 1910-Present
Photograph Services
Looking to decorate your chiropractic office, or need an image for a presentation or publication? We provide high-resolution scans for a small fee.
Photographs are copyrighted by Palmer College of Chiropractic and you will need to sign a permissions form.
Making a photograph reproduction request:
- If you already have an image in mind, be as detailed as you can. For instance, we have many images of B.J. Palmer, so are you interested in a profile picture, from the 1930s, or one of him adjusting, etc.?
- If you see an image in a book or online, send us a link or screenshot so we know exactly what you are looking for.
- For ideas, please browse some of our photos online. The Upper Mississippi Valley Digital Image Project includes approximately 200 Palmer images.
Rights, Permissions, and Fees
For the majority of requests a permissions form needs to be completed and signed. We accept cash, credit card (Visa or Mastercard), or check.
Photocopying
Palmer Students/Alumni/ Faculty and Staff: $.15 per page
Non-Palmer researchers: $.25 per page
Document Scanning
Palmer Students/Alumni/ Faculty and Staff: $12 for the first 10 pages, $.15 each page after
Non-Palmer researchers: $15 for the first 10 pages, $.25 each page after
Image Reproduction
All images will be scanned at 300dpi unless otherwise requested. All images are delivered electronically so no tax is charged. Charges are priced per image for one-time use only.
Palmer Students/Alumni/ Faculty and Staff: Personal Use: $8.00 Academic Use: $12.00 Commercial Use: $15.00
Non-Palmer Researchers: Personal Use: $10.00 Academic Use: $15.00 Commercial Use: $20.00 If printing more than 1000 copies or publishing image in a media other than a book, fees will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
User Fee
We charge $25 for extensive use of the archives.
Library staff reserve the right to refuse any request which may cause damage to the archival material or if the amount of images/documents requested will tax department resources. Please allow adequate time for large document/image requests.
Reproduction for Research Use
- The Palmer College Special Collections will consider requests for limited reproductions of material when such duplication can be done without injury to the material and when duplication does not violate donor agreements or copyright restrictions. Permission to reproduce does not constitute permission to publish.
- Reproduction request forms much be completed and submitted to the staff member on duty.
- Requests for duplicating certain materials may require approval by the college Special Collections Librarian.
Permission to Publish
- Permission to publish from either unpublished manuscripts or published works under copyright must first be obtained from the holder of the copyright. It is the researcher’s responsibility to secure permission.
- For original manuscripts, permission from the College through Special Services as owner of the originals must be obtained.
