Special collections and archives are excellent places to look for unique or rare materials. They contain primary source materials like personal letters, meeting minutes, newsletters, photographs, oral histories, and more! Special collections and archives are different from regular library materials because users can generally only view the materials in person or online, rather than checking them out and taking them home with us. This is because this might be the only version of these materials that exists!

Archives and special collections can be useful or interesting for everybody! But some reasons students might consider visiting an archive is when they are seeking primary source materials to answer questions like: what inspired this person? what did this region look like in a specific time period? what else was going on in the time frame I'm exploring?

For more information about the differences between libraries and archives, check out this helpful guide!

Check out our Digital Collections here! You can find things like photographs, event flyers, music, and more!

You can check out even more online collections at these links:

"Archive Finder: This is a directory that describes over 220,000 collections of primary source material housed in thousands of repositories across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.

ArchiveGrid: ArchiveGrid has over 5 million records describing archival materials about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more. There are over 1,000 different archival institutions represented by ArchiveGrid, all of which help researchers locate primary sources that are found in archives, libraries, museums, and historical societies.

ARCHIVESCANADA: ARCHIVESCANADA acts as a gateway to archival resources found in over 800 repositories across Canada. Their primary objective is to provide the Canadian public with greater access to the heritage of Canada.

Library of Congress: The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world and has millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps, and manuscripts. It is also the main research arm of the United States Congress and the home of the United States Copyright Office."

From Maryville University's A Guide to Archives and How To Use Them for Research, accessed August 16, 2023.