Special Collections

Special Collections is one of the collecting units in the Special Collections & University Archives Department. Special Collections collects manuscript, audiovisual, artifactual, rare book, and other materials that support Jacksonville University curriculums and preserve local history.

The Special Collections Department of Swisher Library stewards unique, typically one-of-a-kind materials to represent all facets of Jacksonville University history, activities, student life, community engagement, and cultural legacy. Certain collections also support Jacksonville University curriculums by providing students with hands-on research experience with historical materials on a wide range of topics. Special Collections seeks to acquire and provide community access to materials that help engage students with historical research, artistic creation, and foster a sense of connection with Jacksonville University history...with an eye directed towards its future. The Special Collections Department contains the Special Collections and University Archives collecting units; the department's title, "Special Collections," is an umbrella term that Swisher Library uses synonymously to refer to both independent collecting units.

Please browse through the Finding Aids tab to learn more information about the contextual history and material contents of each collection available for access. Please reach out to the Special Collections Department via Appointment Requests, Materials Requests, or by email at specialcollections@ju.edu to request additional information about our collections.

Access to certain Special Collections materials may be restricted due to the presence of sensitive information in the materials. Please note that Special Collections does not retain the copyright to all materials in its stewardship. Researchers are encouraged to follow copyright and reproduction guidelines when seeking to use Special Collections materials beyond Fair Use allowances. When citing materials in personal or published research projects, please credit the repository using the Chicago style examples below (*only modify the citations to adhere with your preferred standards style): 

For crediting a whole collection:

• Last Name, First Name of creator. Name of Collection. Swisher Library Special Collections, Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL.

For crediting individual or singular items from a collection:

• Last Name, First Name of creator. Descriptive title of item. Date. Name of Collection. Swisher Library Special Collections, Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL.