University of Arizona

Everyone is welcome to visit Special Collections without an appointment from 9 am - 5 pm, Mon - Fri. Note that beginning April 1st, our hours will be 9 am - 4 pm

News

New Director of Special Collections

Apr 7, 2015

If you were among the standing room only crowds in Special Collections at the recent Tucson Festival of Books you may have noticed Steve Hussman, the new director of Special Collections at the University of Arizona. A sign of his all-hands-on-deck philosophy, Hussman was busy chatting with guests, answering questions about the archives, directing people to exhibitor tents – even scouring his new office for the last few chairs to bring into the Reading Room.

There You Are: Maps, Place, and Special Collections

Mar 27, 2015

We place ourselves and others. Here. There. Across a divide. Happy together. Those who love cats – those who abhor them. Those who find wonder in puppets – and those who recoil from them.

Maps mark another division: those who use maps – and those who delight in them.

Maps in Special Collections are distinct from those in other campus libraries because of their age or significance. Like our interests, Special Collections maps are diverse, but most deal with the Southwest, Arizona, or Mexico, and range from the early sixteenth century to the early twenty-first century.

When was the University of Arizona known as Adams College?

Mar 5, 2015

The University of Arizona briefly became Adams College for only a few weeks in 1984 for the filming of the comedy Revenge of the Nerds.  The movie was filmed at the University of Arizona and the surrounding area but the school is only identified in the film as “Adams College,” a fictional school in the Midwest.

History, Trade Publications, and Arizona Cattlelog.

Feb 18, 2015

Trade publications are windows on history. Associated with individual industries, they cater to specific interests and reflect particular times. One Cold War-era joke held Soviet spying on American aircraft and rocket programs was accomplished largely with an Aviation Week and Space Technology subscription. In time, trade publications depict change and the fortunes of an industry and its owners, managers, and employees.

Celebrate President’s Day with Presidential Materials

Feb 12, 2015

President’s Day officially began in 1800 as a celebration of the birthday of George Washington who was born on February 22nd. When the holiday was moved to the third Monday of February in 1971, it became known more as a day to recognize the lives and work of all American presidents. In honor of this day, we wish to highlight the many presidential materials we have in Special Collections.

Celebrating Mozart's Birthday!

Jan 30, 2015

This Tuesday marked the 259th birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  Mozart was born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg.  His pieces are models of the Classical style with compositions in all major Classical styles, including symphony, opera, solo concerto, chamber music, and sonata.

Spiritual Literacy Month

Dec 19, 2014

December is Spiritual Literacy Month! This event was founded by authors Frederic and Mary Brussat in 1996 to promote respect for the world's religions and spiritual traditions by encouraging people to read sacred texts from all religions.

International Monkey Day (December 14, 2014)

Dec 10, 2014

One of the newest celebrations, International Monkey Day, began as a whimsy in 2002. Now commemorated annually, International Monkey Day invites us to reflect on our fellow member of the primate, their lives and plights, and the ways we draw upon monkeys for inspiration, insight, or analogy.

Remembering U.S.S. Arizona at UA

Dec 5, 2014

This Sunday (December 7), designated by Congress in 1994, is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, a day to remember and honor those who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked a naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii killing 2,400 Americans and sinking or damaging many ships including the U.S.S Arizona. Besides being named for our state, the U.S.S Arizona has a significant presence at the UA.

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