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Special Collections

Special Collections consists primarily of subject collections emphasizing the history and development of the Texas-Mexico Border region, in particular the people, history, art, life and literature of San Antonio and South Texas. Special Collections acquires books and other materials documenting San Antonio small press, San Antonio history, and San Antonio authors. Other collecting areas include Texana, Civil War (West of the Mississippi), Western and Southwestern Americana, Indians of the U.S. West, and Mexican history.

Special Collections seeks to support the research needs of UTSA by providing a general selection of core Texas historical book materials, and a comprehensive selection of San Antonio historical book materials. Book materials are also collected that support the collecting areas of the Archives, namely San Antonio women's organizations, San Antonio technology, San Antonio Mexican Americans, and UTSA history. Special Collections also houses items from the general library collection requiring special handling.

The Special Collections Reading Room is located on the 2nd floor of the JPL Building on the 1604 campus. For information and assistance with Special Collections resources, please contact the Special Collections reference desk at 458-5505; Head of Archives and Special Collections, Mark Shelstad, at 458-2385; or e-mail archives@utsa.edu.