About

Mission statement

The Iowa State University Library Special Collections and University Archives collects, preserves, and shares documentation of the experiences, achievements, and memories of people and organizations reflecting the university's major research areas, with a special commitment to documenting the history of the university. Supporting the land-grant ideals of putting science, technology and human creativity to work, we strive to enrich learning and encourage investigation by a diverse community of users.

Collections 

Special Collections and University Archives stewards 18,000 linear feet of archival material, more than 50,000 volumes of rare books, 26,000 audio-visual resources, and over one million still images. 

These materials, related to our primary collecting areas, support the teaching, learning, and research mission of the university. 

If you are interested in supporting our collections, please contact us.

History of our department

The Special Collections Department at Iowa State University was established in 1969 to consolidate and enlarge the Iowa State History Collection and Rare Book Collection while developing a manuscript collection. Under one unit, these materials' improved security and housing could be ensured. At that time, Stanley Yates was hired as the library's first full-time, trained archivist.  

Before 1955, Rare Books had never been a priority collecting area for the College Library, with books being acquired from time to time in subject matter fields stressed by the College. In the fall of 1955, books were transferred from the stacks to a Rare Book Collection as they were identified and approved for inclusion in the Rare Books Collection.  

Historical documents and photographs related to the College were first collected in 1920 as part of a committee led by Dean Edgar Stanton for the semi-centennial celebration of the College. Dr. Earle E. Ross added to the collection while he worked on his book “A History of Iowa State College,” published in 1942. In 1953, President James Hilton requested a grant from the Alumni Association’s Achievement Fund to hire an assistant to organize the Iowa State History Collection in preparation for the College’s centennial celebration. The collection was organized, cataloged, and moved from an old military barracks, where it had been stored since Dr. Ross’ work, to the Faculty Reading Room (now the Fireplace Room) on the first floor of the Library. This would become the basis for the University Archives. 

The Library did not collect manuscripts before the establishment of the department. The idea for these collections was to provide researchers with primary source materials so they could better understand Iowa’s development and its influences on the Midwest and the nation.   

Special Collections originally was on the first floor of the Library.  With the growth of the Library and the Special Collections holdings, the department was moved to the fourth floor when the Library’s third addition was completed in 1982. A name change occurred in 2016, and the department became Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA).