Research Guides: Research in FSU Special Collections & Archives : Home

Guide Authors

Caroline Haight - Research Services Intern, Fall 2022

Librarian

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Introduction to Special Collections & Archives

Special Collections & Archives (SCA) is a division of FSU Libraries. The mission of SCA is the preservation of rare and unusual books and original primary source materials, as well as facilitating research through providing access to these materials. SCA collaborates with other departments to provide instruction that gives students an introduction to primary source literacy and they also support active learning and discovery through exhibitions and other programs. The division includes several areas that work towards these goals: the Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Heritage & University Archives (HUA), The Claude Pepper Library, and the Digital Library Center.

SCA’s collections of unique manuscripts, historic maps, rare books, photographs, and university archives offer abundant opportunities for discovery and scholarship.Their collecting strengths include: Napoleon and the French Revolution, poetry, political papers, artists’ books, children’s literature, Florida history, Southern business history, and the history of Florida State University. However, our 90,000 volumes and over one million manuscript items cover more than just these strengths. If you are interested in learning more about Special Collections & Archives, please visit our website at https://www.lib.fsu.edu/special-collections. If you would like to search our collections further, visit www.lib.fsu.edu/special-collections/collections. Finally, if you are interested in instruction with SCA, please visit our class visit webpage.