Special Collections

Special Collections frequently teaches primary source research for multiple history courses throughout the year.  While our primary source coverage of World War I and II is sufficient for these classes, we have had very little content on the Korean and Vietnam War eras.  Last summer, we were able to purchase… Read More

The Friends of Vanderbilt’s Libraries told us they wanted to see new acquisitions, and we listened! Please join our curators as they highlight items added to Vanderbilt’s distinctive collections this past year. This Friends of Vanderbilt’s Libraries event is Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, Noon–1:00 p.m. CST on Zoom. Register… Read More

On October 6, the Ambassador to the United States from Colombia, Juan Carlos Pinzón, visited having asked to see the libraries’ rare special collections on Colombia. Paula Covington, the Latin American and Iberian Studies Librarian and Senior Lecturer in Latin American Studies, prepared a wide range of the treasures… Read More

Happy National Friends of the Libraries Week! The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries invite you to join us for two upcoming events: Friday, Oct. 22, Noon–1:00 p.m.    A curatorial talk highlighting the current exhibit Out of the Vault. Email Special Collections to register. Read more+ Friday, Nov. 5,… Read More

Join our curators Friday, October 22, Noon–1:00 p.m. CST, as they walk us through the exhibition Out of the Vault, open to the campus community in Central Library’s 4th floor foyer through November 19, and through this online exhibit for our many community Friends. Cases filled with treasures from… Read More

The exhibit Papermaking in Europe and America is on display in the Special Collections Library on the 2nd floor of the Central Library. From its beginnings in China as early as 140 B.C.E. the ancient craft of papermaking was kept secret for almost 1000 years. Between the 8th and 12th… Read More

James Morris Lawson, Jr. was born September 22, 1928. He grew up the sixth of nine children and followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps receiving his ministry license in 1947. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. convinced Lawson to move to Nashville where he enrolled in the Divinity School at… Read More

Have you ever wondered about the history of the beautiful domed building at the end of the Peabody esplanade? If so, you might check out the new exhibit in Special Collections’ series on Vanderbilt’s historic buildings. The exhibit is on display in Special Collections and University Archives and is available… Read More

Call for Applicants for Fall Semester Buchanan Library Fellowship: Building a University: Vanderbilt’s Second Decade, 1885-1895 Have you ever wondered about the early years of Vanderbilt University? What were the first yearbooks like, and where did students live on campus? Which sports were first played on campus? Or perhaps you… Read More

The U.S. Presidency: Challenges of the Executive Branch Are you interested in working with primary resources to explore the role of the U.S. presidency? This fall semester Buchanan Library Fellows will curate an exhibition in the lobby of Central Library that explores the opportunities and challenges of the U.S. Executive… Read More