#TBT in the Archives 3/9/17: Special Collections

At one time or another when searching through the Ezra Lehman Memorial Library catalog for a research project, you may find the book you're looking for but the location may read "Special Collections - Contact specialcollections@ship.edu." What does that mean?

Special Collections books are housed in SU Archives & Special Collections.

Special Collections makes up a substantial portion of the items housed at SU Archives & Special Collections. Most of the volumes in the collection are related to Pennsylvania history. Some of the titles on the shelves include county histories, histories from all eras of Pennsylvania, legislative journals dating to the 1800s, commonwealth legislative and executive documents, histories of Pennsylvania German immigrants, and histories of significant events, like the Johnstown Flood of 1889. Other books include literature and world histories.


Here are some examples of Special Collections holdings:

The Classroom Teacher was a 12 volume set published in Chicago in 1927. The volumes include descriptions of model curriculums for public schools, updates on best practices, and pointers on starting guidance counseling and business education programs. The set must have been useful for Shippensburg education students in the mid-20th century, and is still valuable for studying the history of education.

Report of the Department of Mines, Part 1: Anthracite was published from 1870 through 1930 in Harrisburg and included reports from fifteen mining districts across the state. Similar reports are still printed by the state on the mining activities in Pennsylvania.

This is volume two of The Works of Charles Dickens, a four-volume set that includes the full text of several Dickens novels. This volume includes the classic Great Expectations, and each page includes two columns of text.

Histories of India occupy at least one shelf at Special Collections. This set, History of India, comprises 11 volumes and covers Indian history from the ancient era through the 1800s.

The Story of Johnstown by J.J. McLaurin, published in 1890, is one of at least 15 histories of the flood of 1889 on the shelves at Special Collections. It is richly illustrated with photos of the aftermath.

This is one of several photos included in The Story of Johnstown.

These books don't circulate, meaning you can't check them out. But it's easy to get your hands on them if you need them for a project, or are just curious! Email specialcollections@ship.edu with the call number of the book in question to set up an appointment.


Check out #TBT after Spring Break for some highlights from the Rare Books Room, another great section of SU Archives & Special Collections!