Museums of the Bethel Historical Society

Research Services

For those who are unable to visit our facility in person, we are pleased to offer the following research services. Requests of all types will be answered (usually within 3 to 4 weeks) in the order in which they are received. Patrons with specific deadlines should contact us at library@bethelhistorical.org. Unless a different preference is indicated, requests received electronically will be fulfilled via e-mail and those received by mail will be answered by mail.

Scan/Copy Requests

Fee: $5/item

Choose this option for simple requests from a known source for which you can provide an exact citation. Examples include a page or range of up to ten pages from a book in our collection, or a newspaper article for which you can provide the exact date. Many such citations can be found by searching our online indexes. Items are provided for personal research purposes. The user is responsible for following all applicable copyright laws.

Submitting your request online:

  1. Fill out the online Scan/Copy Request Form.
  2. Click here to pre-pay for request.

Submitting your request by mail:

  1. Print and complete a Scan/Copy Request Form.
  2. Send your request and remittance (made payable to the “Bethel Historical Society”) to Attn: Library, Bethel Historical Society, P.O. Box 12, Bethel, ME 04217.

Hourly Research Service

Fee: $10/hour for members; $15/hour for non-members

You must choose this option if:

  • You cannot provide an exact citation
  • You are requesting more than 2-3 items
  • You have a more complex, open-ended question

Staff and trained volunteers will search for specific information in appropriate catalogs, genealogies, town histories, cemetery records, published vital records, microfilmed newspapers, and directories. For each hour of contracted research, we will provide scans or photocopies of the most pertinent material and will advise you of the sources we’ve consulted. We regret that we cannot search in unindexed manuscript material.

Submitting your request online:

  1. Fill out the online Hourly Research Request Form.
  2. Click here to pre-pay for request.

Submitting your request by mail:

  1. Print and complete an Hourly Research Request Form.
  2. Send your request and remittance (made payable to the “Bethel Historical Society”) to Attn: Library, Bethel Historical Society, P.O. Box 12, Bethel, ME 04217.

Digital Images

Fee: $10/image

To purchase a high-resolution, digital copy of an image listed on our Online Collections site, locate the image on that site and follow the link under “Purchase a Copy” in the side-bar on the right-hand side of your screen.

Online payment and delivery only. Your image will be delivered via an e-mail link and must be downloaded within 30 days. We do not have the equipment to make photo-quality prints in-house, and instead recommend having prints made at your preferred printing service.

Images provided through this service are intended for personal use only. You may share copies with friends and family members, but to preserve the uniqueness of the collection, we ask that you do not share unwatermarked images on public websites. Additional terms and fees apply for reproduction and use in publication. Please contact us at library@bethelhistorical.org for more information on licensing an image for publication.