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Rare Books & Manuscripts

This is information about the holdings of books and materials in Special Collections..

About these collections

Special Collections strives to supplement the holdings of the main circulating collection with material focused on  literature, history, government, and life in the State of Indiana.   The focus is statewide and regional rather than local since Vigo County Historical Society and the Vigo County Public Library concentrate on local materials. 

  • The collection’s core delves into society, history, and geography of Indiana and its ninety-two counties.  There is special emphasis on in-depth holdings for Indiana literary figures, including James Whitcomb Riely, Lew Wallace, Theodore Dreiser, Booth Tarkington, Kurt Vonnegut, Kin Hubbard, Gene Stratton-Porter, and George McCutcheon.
  • As part of the WPA during the Great Depression, writers were employed in each state as part of the Federal Writers' Project to gather information for volumes in the American Guide Series or for local guides and histories.  As a sponsor of the program, Indiana State Teachers College kept the files as its property, and they provide primary materials for the study of Indiana History.
  • As part of a folklore program in I.S.U.’s  English Department, students gathered various forms of folklore from across the state.  When the program was closed, those materials were transferred to Special Collections, where they are available for research use by students and others.
  • As a unique aspect of Hoosier culture, the department has a collection of printed business ephemera, including prospectuses and advertisements, dating from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
  • The department also holds unpublished records relevant to Indiana and its history, ranging from the letters from soldiers in the Civil War, glass plate photography, and government records.

Ideas on exploration

Special Collections provides multiple avenues for the exploration of these collections.  Not all of them can be reached through the main library database or the Shadows of the Wabash collection of digital resources.  We are constantly working to expand your means of gaining access.  For this collection:

  • Under the Books, Journals and More tab on the library homepage. You can include the term "Indiana” in your searches of the main database.
  • Under the Books, Journals and More tab on the library homepage, select Advanced Search.  You can limit searches to ‘Special Collections,’ which will allow you to find materials in our department.  You can add the term "Indiana" in your search parameters which will narrow it down even more.
  • We have an index to the microfilm collection of the WPA and bibliographies you can consult.
  • Special Collections staff can be contacted through e-mail, phone, or LibChat to assist with research and make appointments to use the collection.

Reading Room

Ready to see this collection for yourself? You can come to visit us on the 3rd floor of the library, call us at 237-2610,

or e-mail us at Special-Collections@indstate.edu.