Special Collections

The influence of Vanderbilt University writers on acclaimed author Flannery O’Connor—and the extensive reach of O’Connor’s work on literature and beyond—are the subjects of a new Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries exhibit. Read More

The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries will mark the centennial anniversary of the landmark Scopes trial with a new exhibit at Vanderbilt’s Central Library. Read More

The many contributions of LGBTQ people to the political, social and cultural fabric of Middle Tennessee are explored in a new exhibit at the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries. Read More

Digital preservation professionals from the Southeast and across the globe convened at Vanderbilt University for the inaugural Digital Preservation Coalition Members Forum in the Americas. The gathering, hosted by the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries, was held in person at Special Collections and University Archives, with participants also joining online. Read More

A new student-curated exhibit at the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries explores the exciting world of book arts, with a focus on the intersection of art, craftsmanship and literature. Read More

The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries hosted talks by two international scholars of Jewish history and culture on April 10. Markus Krah, the John H. Slade Executive Director of the Leo Baeck Institute–New York/Berlin, and Caroline Jessen, a research associate at the Leibniz Institute for Jewish History and Culture–Simon Dubnow in Leipzig, Germany, discussed the life and legacy of German-Jewish publisher Salman Schocken.  Read More

As the curator of manuscripts at Special Collections and University Archives, Mary McSparran teaches with primary sources, curates several subject areas, including literature and journalism, and preserves collections so that visitors can engage with people’s stories in tangible, meaningful ways. Read More

Vanderbilt professor and bestselling author Alice Randall (front, center) discussed her book My Black Country at Central Library Nov. 20. She was joined by students and staff from Vanderbilt’s Live. Learn. Lead. Academy (also pictured here). (Harrison McClary/Vanderbilt) Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies and Vanderbilt Writer-in-Residence… Read More

The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries will celebrate 2024 Geography Awareness Week and GIS Day with a series of events Nov. 18–21—including hands-on workshops, exhibits and discussions of rare maps, and a campus scavenger hunt—highlighting the significance and artistry of historical maps and map making. Read More

Some seven decades of Tennessee and U.S. political history are commemorated in the Pitts Family Political Papers, a collection recently acquired by the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries. Read More