Q. How do I access the Letters between Emily Hale and T.S. Eliot?

About the Collection

The Emily Hale Letters from T.S. Eliot (C0686) are located in Special Collections Firestone. 

By agreement between Princeton University Library and Emily Hale, the letters had been closed in Special Collections since 1956 but opened to the public in January of 2020. More information about how the library acquired the letters can be found on the blog of the Manuscripts Division. 

Princeton’s collection of the original letters has been fully digitized. Digital surrogates, as well as original documents, are available to researchers on a first-come, first-served basis in the Special Collections reading room during library open hours.

As of January of 2023, the T.S. Eliot estate released transcriptions of all the letters between Emily Hale and T.S. Eliot, available on their website. 

Accessing the Collection

As is true with all collections, all researchers are welcome to view materials from the Emily Hale Letters from T. S. Eliot in the Special Collections Reading Room located on the C-Floor of Firestone Library during open hours.

If you would like to see the collection in person, we ask that you register for a Special Collections Research Account. While it is not necessary to do this before you arrive, it will speed up your visit if you register and request materials ahead of time.

To request materials, use the “request this box” button on the collection's finding aid. To search within the collection for keywords, phrases, names or titles, please use the search bar underneath the title, or browse by using the collapsible menu on the left-side of the screen.

Upon your first visit to the library, you will need to check in with the access office on the first floor of Firestone Library in order to obtain an Access Card. Researchers will be asked to present a photo ID like a driver’s license, passport, school ID or work ID. It is not necessary to use a government-issued ID. Once your Access Card has been issued, please take the stairs or elevator down to C-floor, where you will find the Special Collections department. If you would like to have the ID Card made in advance of your visit so it is ready when you arrive, you can fill out a Special Collections ID Card Application online.

As a reminder, all food, drink, and personal belongings (such as bags, coats, laptop sleeves, pens, books, notebooks) must be stowed in the lockers available just outside the department. You are welcome to bring your laptop or tablet, but we will provide you with paper and pencils for handwritten notes.

You are also welcome to bring a camera, cell phone or other device to take pictures of the collection, but please leave any camera cases in your locker with other personal items. Please also be aware that due to preservation concerns, we do not allow the use of personal scanners, tripods, flash, or copy stands. To respect fellow researchers, we kindly ask you to remember to turn off any audible notifications on your devices when in the Reading Room. For more information please visit the Reading Room Guidelines page on our website.

Submitting a Digitization Request

Researchers who may not be able to visit in person can also request material be digitized and emailed to them as high-quality reproductions at no cost to the researcher. However, in order to provide effective and equitable service to all researchers, requests are limited to 300 pages per person/project. Published materials may be further limited due to copyright restrictions. Should you believe you are in need of services that do not align with our order fulfillment period or page limits, please reach out to public services staff to discuss your needs further.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us using the Ask Special Collections form.