Archives & Special Collections

Welcome to Archives & Special Collections at the University Library — the home of rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and unique historical materials that document the cultural, literary, and institutional history University of Mississippi.

Welcome to Archives & Special Collections

The Department of Archives & Special Collections contains archival papers, photographs, films, and sound recordings related to Mississippi, the Blues, the University of Mississippi, and the American South. The four units within the department, General Special Collections, the Blues Archive, the Visual Collections, and the Modern Political Archive, are managed by four curators and a Library Specialist who assist numerous patrons with their research needs. They also give regular presentations on Mississippi’s history and culture.

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In 1979, Clarksdale, Mississippi’s Carnegie Public Library director Sid Graves founded the Delta Blues Museum, the first museum in the world dedicated to the blues. The Sid Graves Collection features correspondence, photographs, and more related to the museum and Grave’s personal life. There are also materials related to the Mississippi Library Association and various Mississippi literary figures.