Archives & Special Collections: Information for Researchers

The Archives & Special Collections is located on the second floor of the Collins Memorial Library.

Set up an appointment: We are open to researchers by appointment Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. To make an appointment, email archives@pugetsound.edu. 

We look forward to assisting you!

A small selection of material from the Archives & Special Collections is now available online!  Visit the Digital Collections tab on this guide to find out more.

Students, faculty, visiting scholars, and members of the public with research inquiries are welcome to consult the Archives & Special Collections. Appointments are highly recommended to ensure availability of materials and staff assistance, but we also have drop-in hours during the week when appointments are not required. See the Archives & Special Collections Hours box to the left for information on drop-in hours. 

A few things to be aware of when visiting the Archives & Special Collections:

• Materials in the Archives & Special Collections do not circulate.  They are available for use only in the Archives & Special Collections.
• No food or drink is allowed in the Archives & Special Collections.
• Pencil only, no pens.  We have pencils available if you forget to bring one.
• Laptops are permitted.
• Phones and cameras may be used with the permission of the Archivist.

The majority of the material in Archives & Special Collections is only available in person.  If you know your topic, you can begin searching for material:

• Rare books (limit the search to Collins Memorial Library Archives & Special Collections on the left)
• Archival material
• Local, regional, national and international material

If you would like assistance exploring the collections, please contact us!

These are just a small sampling of research topics that can be supported by the collections:

• Student life at the University of Puget Sound
• Local Tacoma businesses and advertisements
• Northwest women artists
• Albert Bash and his railroad scheme in the early 20th century
• Student reactions to national events
• University administration and governance
• WWII
• Washington Senator, Homer T. Bone, his policies, career, etc.
• Northwest travel pamphlets
• Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
• Astronomy at the University of Puget Sound
• Women travelers in the early 20th century
• 19th century missionaries in Oregon
• Early history of the University of Puget Sound 1888-1923
• 18th century alchemy in England
• Book arts
• Autobiography through Artists' books

Tertiary sources are excellent starting points!  They consist of information synthesized from primary and secondary sources.  Examples include:

• Almanacs
• Chronologies
• Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
• Directories
• Fact books
• Guidebooks
• Indexes, abstracts, bibliographies used to locate primary and secondary sources
• Manuals
• Textbooks

These resources give you succinct overviews of your topic, explain scholarly arguments, point out interesting questions, and refer you to especially key sources. 

This subject guide highlights only a small portion of the many resources available to you. 

If you're not finding what you need, don't hesitate to contact us:  archives@pugetsound.edu.