Special Collections contains unusual and valuable materials including:
Examples of early printing and binding as well as contemporary fine press publications
A descriptive listing of all of CSULB's Special Collections is available.
University Archives contains materials which chronicle the history of the Library and the University and its surrounding community, including:
Certain documents in University Archives, notably pages from historical CSULB catalogs, schedules of classes, yearbooks, and course syllabi, usually can be photocopied without harm to the original. Please review our Photocopying Services Policy [ Word ] or [ PDF ].
Chloé Pascual is our Special Collections Librarian and Archivist. Special Collections and University Archives is located on the 3rd Floor (Room 300) of the Library.
The Bixby Collection. (Long Beach history)
A collection of Bixby family papers, original documents, correspondence from 1950's, photographs, oral histories, ephemera, etc.
The Richard Hanna Collection. (Political)
Hanna, a Democrat congressman from Orange County, was first elected in 1962 and returned for the 5 succeeding Congresses. The papers provide a record of his Congressional tenure from 1964-1974, including his work on the Education and Rules Committee.
The Mark W. Hannaford Collection. (Political)
Mark Hannaford served as Councilman for the City of Lakewood from 1966 until he won a Congressional seat in 1974 from the 34th Congressional District. The papers provide a record of his Congressional tenure representing Lakewood and western Orange County. He served in the Carter Administration in 1979 as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce.
The Dorothy Healey Collection. (Political)
Healey served as a Spokesperson and Chairman of the Southern California District, C.P.U.S.A. from 1949-1972, and eight years in Imperial Valley and other agricultural areas organizing farm laborers. She was prominent in left-wing C.I.O. activities in the 40's, organizing cannery, mill and municipal workers. The collection was acquired in 1971 and there have been subsequent additions donated by Healey. It contains over 10,000 items including books, pamphlets, broadsides (handbills and leaflets) letters, photographs, speeches, news clippings, etc. Particularly important are party programs, internal discussion guides and position papers reflecting Communist Party theory and practice from the 1940's to the 1960's. There are over 150 indexed boxes. The collection is enhanced by the Al Richmond Papers, also donated by Healey.
The Gerald Locklin Collection. (Literary)
Locklin, a CSULB English Department faculty member, is the author of over 50 volumes of poetry and fiction and has published over a thousand poems, stories, reviews and articles. The collection contains hundreds of actual acceptances and reflections from international publishers, providing a unique insight into the precarious world of publishing. There are also thousands of small press poetry publications which he has donated and are indexed by author, title, and first line.
The Wesley Kuhnle Collection, 1898-1962. (Music)
Kuhnle was a Southern California musicologist. He was regarded as a pioneer in historic tunings of early keyboard music of the 1500's to the late 18th Century. The collection includes acoustical plans, architectural drawings, oral history tapes on reels, correspondence, etc. and is a commentary on American musicians in Southern California in the first half of the 20th Century. He focused upon musical instrument techniques, primarily the harpsichord and the clavichord.
The Long Beach History Collection. (Long Beach History) (Including Joan Hotchkis Collection of family papers)
The collection contains historical pamphlets, booklets, postcards, various publications and news clippings, all directly relating to some aspect of the city of Long Beach.
The Oral History Collection.
CSULB oral historian Sherna Berger Gluck directed the oral history project. The collection is a primary source for a range of disciplines and for varying interests.
The Oral History of the Arts Collection. (Music -- early 20th Century)
The collection contains taped interviews and performances by musicians, musicologists, composers and educators, primarily European emigres who immigrated to Southern California.
The Pasadena Playhouse Collection. (Los Angeles Theatre from 1925-1968)
The collection includes hundreds of play-bills, books, play scripts, scrapbooks and other ephemera. An index is available with title listings.
The Rosie the Riveter Collection: World War II Era. (Oral Histories)
The collection provides a firsthand account of American women's experiences as defense workers during WWII. CSULB oral historian, Sherna Berger Gluck, directed extensive interviews with over forty "Rosie the Riveters," focusing on the long-term effects of their wartime work experience.
The CSULB Sculpture Symposium. (Art/Sculpture)
The International Sculpture Symposium was organized in 1965 by Professor Ken Glenn, CSULB Department of Art and was created on the campus site by eight world renowned sculptors, constituting a "Museum Without Walls." The collection contains information regarding the entire process: creating, organizing, facilitating and financing the project.
The Upton Sinclair Collection: 1878-1968. (Literary)
Sinclair was an author and a political and social activist. The Upton Sinclair Collection consists of some first edition books, an almost complete holding of the publication Upton Sinclair's EPIC News, dated from May 28, 1934 to December 9, 1935, numerous articles and miscellaneous correspondence.
The Don Utter Collection. (Long Beach history, 1970's-1980's)
Focuses upon Utter's political/cultural involvement with Alamitos Bay, Democratic Club, Bike Path, Parks, Coastal Plans, Los Cerritos Wetlands, Beaches and Harbors and SOHIO (Standard Oil Company).
The Venice Collection. (Local history, 1960's-1970's)
The Venice Collection, initiated by CSULB Professor Arnold Springer, Department of History, relates to the history and culture of Venice, California community. It is inclusive of correspondence, documents, photographs, films, and organizational records.
The Vincent Thomas Collection, 1908-1980. (Political)
Thomas served in the California State Assembly from the 1940's to the 1970's. He served on a number of Assembly Committees including Conservation and Wildlife, Pacific Marine Fisheries, Human Services, etc. The collection, which was received in 1979, reflects his service and tenure.