Research Guides: History Resources: Special Collections &amp; Archives

Special Collections

The mission of Special Collections is to deliver a sustainable legacy of unique cultural heritage by preserving and providing access in perpetuity to Vanderbilt University’s impressive collection of rare books, manuscripts, photographs, memorabilia, audio-visual, and institutional archives in our care whatever the format (analog or digital).

Collections Overview: Special Collections & University Archives

Starting Your Research at Special Collections

History of Medicine Collection @ Biomedical Library

Archive Finders

Vanderbilt Digital Archive Collections on JSTOR
Digitized materials from Vanderbilt Special Collections. Includes all documents from the James Robertson Collection, History of Medicine, and many other items.

WorldCat (FirstSearch)
Includes archival holdings. Limit to archives and search by relevance.

Archives Grid
ArchiveGrid includes over 5 million records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more. Over 1,000 different archival institutions included.
Archives Portal Europe
Archives Portal Europe provides access to information on archival material from different European countries as well as information on archival institutions throughout the continent.
Social Networks and Archival Context
SNAC is demonstrating the feasibility of separating the description of persons, families, and organizations—including their socio-historical contexts—from the description of the historical resources that are the primary evidence of their lives and work. A key objective is to provide researchers with convenient, integrated access to historical collections held by multiple private and public archives and libraries around the world while also setting the stage for a cooperative program for maintaining information about the people documented in the collections.
UmbraSearch
822,286 items from more than 1,000 U.S. archives, libraries, and museums related to African American history.

Other Archives in Nashville

Special Collections, Fisk University
Consist mainly of primary and secondary materials on African-American themes.
Special Collections, Nashville Public Library
Serves as a repository and research center for historic Nashville materials.
Tennessee State Library & Archives
Collects and preserves materials of historical, documentary, and reference value, and literary works and printed matter to be of special interest to the citizens of Tennessee.

Special Collections, Tennessee State University

Special Collections Procedures

Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA)

This page provides important information that will make your next visit to Special Collections and University Archives a success.

Hours of Operation

Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.

During the semester some classes will be held in Special Collections that may affect the availability for appointments. Please keep this in mind as you plan your visit, and we thank you in advance for your flexibility.

What to know before you make an appointment

Please allow 48 hours' notice when making appointments. Many of our materials are shelved offsite and require sufficient time for safe retrieval and access. If you need an exception, contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu

How to make an appointment

Create an account on our registration form.
Email us at specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu to start the conversation about your research needs. Let us know your research topic, what items interest you, and/or if you need help identifying materials. Please tell us if you expect to require multiple visits so we can discuss your options.
Do not travel to the library until you’ve received an email confirming your appointment and requests.

On the day of your appointment

Researchers will need to present a valid photo ID or Vanderbilt ID.
You may bring the following with you into the reading room:
- Laptop (without bag or sleeve)
- Cell phone (set to vibrate or silent)
- Camera
- Pencils
- Loose leaf paper