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Alcohol Studies Archives

Welcome to the Digital Alcohol Studies Archives! This site hosts the digitized collections formerly held by the Rutgers Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies (CAS). Also available is the Alcohol Studies Database containing over 80,000 citations from 1956 to 2007 for journal articles, books, book chapters, dissertations, conference papers, and audio-visual materials. 

Rutgers CAS is a leader in research, education and training on alcohol and other drugs, and over its more than eighty years of existence has been both a vital part of the history of the field and a crucial institutional repository for the preservation and dissemination of that history, dating back to its inaugural survey of scientific literature on alcohol in 1940.

The Information Services Division of CAS closed in December 2016. Its archival holdings were moved off-site to the Rutgers University Libraries’ Annex, a remote storage facility closed to the public and located on Rutgers’ Busch Campus. This project, the Alcohol Studies Archives, seeks to once again make these collections visible and discoverable for the Rutgers community and other scholars. It is our hope that digitizing and making these selected resources accessible, although only a small portion of a vast archive, will help highlight these collections and preserve the memory of the field’s history for the next generation of researchers.

display cabinets

Display of the five pillars of Alcohol Studies in the Conference Room at the Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies (by Judit H. Ward and William Bejarano, 2013)

Digital Exhibits: Alcohol Studies Archives

  • "Firsts" from the first
    Many milestones in alcohol studies are known today only through brief mentions in textbooks. This exhibit presents some "firsts" in alcohol studies from the first institution of its kind. Established in 1940 at Yale, the Journal and the Center of Alcohol Studies—initially the Section of Alcohol Studies—played a leading role in an international revival of alcohol research. At Rutgers since 1962, the Center has continued to make and preserve history, as presented in the exhibit.
     
  • The 80th Anniversary Exhibit of the Summer School of Alcohol Studies
    Established in 1943, the Summer School of Alcohol Studies (SSAS) was a vital educational resource, offering the first structured curriculum for professionals from diverse backgrounds. Known for sparking transformative experiences, the program fostered dynamic faculty-student exchanges that led to the creation of key organizations in alcohol education and helped shape the field’s development. 
     
  • The Mysterious E. M. Jellinek
    This online exhibit pays tribute to E. M. Jellinek, whose influential ideas shaped alcohol studies, including research, publishing, treatment, and education—even after his departure from Yale before the Center’s 1962 move to Rutgers. Highlighting his visionary scholarship and vibrant personality, this online tribute showcases Jellinek’s legacy through material the Center’s library has collected, preserved, and digitized. 
     
  • The Mark Keller Papers: A Legacy in Alcohol Studies 
    Mark Keller, a pioneer in alcohol studies, was the longtime editor of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol and a key figure at the Center of Alcohol Studies. Known as a “documentalist,” he shaped the field through his scholarship and editorial work. The Keller Papers chronicle his influential career from the 1940s through the 1990s. This exhibit highlights his significant role in substance use studies as bibliographer, editor, and facilitator of research. 
     
  • Temperance Tales 
    The Temperance Collection includes a variety of documents, photographs, and illustrations from the 19th century, used for informational, entertainment, and propaganda purposes. Digitized from the print collection at the Center of Alcohol Studies Library, it features a rich assortment of historical materials. This exhibit highlights a portion of the collection, now accessible through RUcore, a searchable platform for these important documents and images. 

From the Digital Alcohol Studies Archives