diff --git a/dascore/core/spool.py b/dascore/core/spool.py
index 796938a9..a9ef01e0 100644
--- a/dascore/core/spool.py
+++ b/dascore/core/spool.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 from typing_extensions import Self
 
 import dascore as dc
+from dascore.compat import is_array
 from dascore.constants import (
     PROGRESS_LEVELS,
     WARN_LEVELS,
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ class BaseSpool(abc.ABC):
     _rich_style = "bold"
 
     @abc.abstractmethod
-    def __getitem__(self, item: int) -> PatchType:
+    def __getitem__(self, item: int | slice | np.ndarray) -> PatchType:
         """Returns a patch from the spool."""
 
     @abc.abstractmethod
@@ -376,6 +377,27 @@ def __init__(
         self._select_kwargs = {} if select_kwargs is None else select_kwargs
         self._merge_kwargs = {} if merge_kwargs is None else merge_kwargs
 
+    def _select_from_array(self, array) -> Self:
+        """Create new spool with contents changed from array input."""
+        if np.issubdtype(array.dtype, np.bool_):  # boolean select
+            df = self._df[array]
+        elif np.issubdtype(array.dtype, np.integer):
+            df = self._df.iloc[array]
+        else:
+            msg = "Only bool or int dtypes are supported for spool array selection."
+            raise ValueError(msg)
+        source = self._source_df
+        inst = self._instruction_df
+        select_kwargs, merge_kwargs = self._select_kwargs, self._merge_kwargs
+        new = self.new_from_df(
+            df,
+            source_df=source,
+            instruction_df=inst,
+            select_kwargs=select_kwargs,
+            merge_kwargs=merge_kwargs,
+        )
+        return new
+
     def __getitem__(self, item) -> PatchType | BaseSpool:
         if isinstance(item, slice):  # a slice was used, return a sub-spool
             new_df = self._df.iloc[item]
@@ -387,6 +409,8 @@ def __getitem__(self, item) -> PatchType | BaseSpool:
                 instruction_df=new_inst,
                 source_df=new_source,
             )
+        elif is_array(item):  # An array was passed use np type selection.
+            return self._select_from_array(np.asarray(item))
         else:  # a single index was used, should return a single patch
             out = self._unbox_patch(self._get_patches_from_index(item))
         return out
diff --git a/docs/tutorial/spool.qmd b/docs/tutorial/spool.qmd
index 657f3b12..53106fe5 100644
--- a/docs/tutorial/spool.qmd
+++ b/docs/tutorial/spool.qmd
@@ -101,6 +101,37 @@ for patch in spool:
 new_spool = spool[1:]
 ```
 
+An array can also be used (just like numpy) to select/re-arrange spool contents. For example, a boolean array can be used to de-select patches:
+
+```{python}
+import dascore as dc
+import numpy as np
+
+spool = dc.get_example_spool()
+
+# Get bool array, true values indicate patch is kept, false is discarded.
+bool_array = np.ones(len(spool), dtype=np.bool_)
+bool_array[1] = False
+
+# Remove patch at position 1 from spool.
+new = spool[bool_array]
+```
+
+and an integer array can be used to deselect/rearrange patches
+
+```{python}
+import dascore as dc
+import numpy as np
+
+spool = dc.get_example_spool()
+
+# Get an array of integers which indicate the index of included patches
+bool_array = np.array([2, 0])
+
+# create a new spool with patch 2 and patch 0.
+new = spool[bool_array]
+```
+
 # get_contents
 
 The [`get_contents`](`dascore.core.spool.BaseSpool.get_contents`) method returns a dataframe listing the spool contents. This method may not be supported on all spools, especially those interfacing with large remote resources.
diff --git a/tests/test_core/test_spool.py b/tests/test_core/test_spool.py
index 5fdea624..4eace752 100644
--- a/tests/test_core/test_spool.py
+++ b/tests/test_core/test_spool.py
@@ -179,6 +179,62 @@ def test_skip_slice(self, random_spool):
         assert new_spool[1].equals(random_spool[2])
 
 
+class TestSpoolBoolArraySelect:
+    """Tests for selecting patches using a boolean array."""
+
+    def test_bool_all_true(self, random_spool):
+        """All True should return an equal spool."""
+        bool_array = np.ones(len(random_spool), dtype=np.bool_)
+        out = random_spool[bool_array]
+        assert out == random_spool
+
+    def test_bool_all_false(self, random_spool):
+        """All False should return an empty spool."""
+        bool_array = np.zeros(len(random_spool), dtype=np.bool_)
+        out = random_spool[bool_array]
+        assert len(out) == 0
+
+    def test_bool_some_true(self, random_spool):
+        """Some true values should return a spool with some values."""
+        bool_array = np.ones(len(random_spool), dtype=np.bool_)
+        bool_array[1] = False
+        out = random_spool[bool_array]
+        assert len(out) == sum(bool_array)
+        df1 = out.get_contents()
+        df2 = random_spool.get_contents()[bool_array]
+        assert df1.equals(df2)
+
+
+class TestSpoolIntArraySelect:
+    """Tests for selecting patches using an integer array."""
+
+    def test_uniform(self, random_spool):
+        """A uniform monotonic increasing array should return same spool."""
+        array = np.arange(len(random_spool))
+        spool = random_spool[array]
+        assert spool == random_spool
+
+    def test_out_of_bounds_raises(self, random_spool):
+        """Ensure int values gt the spool len raises."""
+        array = np.arange(len(random_spool))
+        array[0] = len(random_spool) + 10
+        with pytest.raises(IndexError):
+            random_spool[array]
+
+    def test_bad_array_type(self, random_spool):
+        """Ensure a non-index or int array raises."""
+        array = np.arange(len(random_spool)) + 0.01
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Only bool or int dtypes"):
+            random_spool[array]
+
+    def test_rearrange(self, random_spool):
+        """Ensure patch order can be changed."""
+        array = np.array([len(random_spool) - 1, 0])
+        out = random_spool[array]
+        assert out[0] == random_spool[-1]
+        assert out[-1] == random_spool[0]
+
+
 class TestSpoolIterable:
     """Tests for iterating Spools."""