Special Collections And University Archives

For more than 75 years, Vanderbilt has been a pioneer in the study of the Americas, forging new paths to innovate, shape, and advance the field. Now, the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies once again finds itself at the forefront, driving important changes in education, research and programming, both at the university and across the country. Read More

The complete archive of Vanderbilt University’s flagship publication has been fully digitized and is now available online, making more than a century of university history accessible to the Vanderbilt community and others around the globe. The digitization project, led by the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives, includes publishing the complete run of Vanderbilt Magazine and its predecessor, Vanderbilt Alumnus, on the JSTOR digital library of academic journals, books and primary sources. Read More

This free exhibit is part of ongoing Sesquicentennial celebrations and features rare items from Heard Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives. Read More

The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries have acquired the personal collection of Dom Flemons, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and cultural historian whose music and research have brought greater awareness to African Americans’ extensive contributions to roots music. Flemons also will be appearing at the Blair School and NMAAM later this month. Read More

The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries are marking the 50th anniversary of hip-hop in 2023 with the acquisition of eight prints by celebrated hip-hop illustrator and documentarian André LeRoy Davis. The prints engage critical themes in U.S. culture, from immigration and policing to identity and electoral politics. Read More

Ellen T. Armour, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Feminist Theology, will discuss her new book, Seeing and Believing: Religion, Digital Visual Culture, and Social Justice, at Vanderbilt University’s Special Collections and University Archives from 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 28. The event is free and open to the public. Read More

Vanderbilt Law School professor Daniel Sharfstein will host a conversation with the National Trail of Tears Association’s Tory Wayne Poteete and the Oklahoma Historical Society’s Charles Tate on Thursday, Sept. 21, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Central Library Community Room. They will discuss research that contributed to Cherokee and Chickasaw Students at Vanderbilt, 1885–1899, an exhibit on display at Central Library through Sept. 29. Read More

At Vanderbilt’s Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries, the three-dimensional history of the university is collected and lovingly maintained by the staff of Special Collections and University Archives. Their mission is to “preserve the historical memory of the university”—memory that is found in the objects that, by their survival, attest to a timeline grounded in the space between West End Avenue and 21st Avenue South. Read More

Vanderbilt’s Special Collections and University Archives materials and operations will have a new home on campus at 1101 19th Avenue. The historic 1101 building will provide a large reading room and shelving for ready access to the university’s special collections. Read More

Tim Gollins, an international information specialist, has been named director of Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, effective March 6. Gollins joins Vanderbilt from the National Records of Scotland, where he was head of preservation and information management. Read More

Vanderbilt Libraries has uploaded more than 48,000 historic photographs from the Vanderbilt University Photographic Archive to Vanderbilt’s media database in preparation of the university’s Sesquicentennial celebration in 2023. Current faculty, staff and students can access the historic photographs in the database after requesting initial access. Read More