Special Collections

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Old main building, early 20th century

Old Main building, early 20th century.

Special Collections holds rare and archival materials mainly in the areas of literature, Arizona and Southwestern history, and the sciences.  We also have important and substantial collections relating to the lands and peoples of Arizona and the US-Mexican borderlands region.

Scholars, researchers, and the public can access our space and materials, including rare books, literature, printed materials, manuscript collections, photographs, maps, and audio and visual recordings.

Visit the Special Collections website

Departmental key contacts

Public Services and Instruction

Provides researchers with reference services and easy access to the diverse materials held at Special Collections. We coordinate timely and inspiring exhibits, programming, and instruction.

Collections Management

Stewards materials in Special Collections through long-term preservation, access, and use. We focus on arrangement and description, collections and space management, digital collections creation, and preservation of materials in all formats.

Curatorial

Assists with acquisitions, donor relations, exhibitions, and events programs. We also contribute to our education programming and consults on preservation decisions.