Tulane University Special Collections

Tulane University Special Collections
Name	Tulane University Special Collections
Established	1884
Location	New Orleans, Louisiana
Parent institution	Tulane University
Type	Special collections, archives, rare books
Director	(varies)
Website	(official site)

Tulane University Special Collections is the primary repository for rare materials, unique manuscripts, and historical records at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. It supports research across disciplines with holdings that document regional history, American politics, Southern literature, African American culture, and global maritime networks. The unit collaborates with academic departments, cultural institutions, and community organizations to preserve primary sources and facilitate scholarly, pedagogical, and public access.

History

The development of the Special Collections traces to Tulane University's expansion during the late 19th and 20th centuries, reflecting connections with figures and institutions such as Lawrence D. Bell, Huey Long, Rudolph Matas, Theodore Roosevelt, and regional political movements including the New South Movement. Collections grew through donations from prominent families, alumni, and civic leaders including ties to the Sternberg family (New Orleans), the Levy family (Louisiana), and collectors associated with the Historic New Orleans Collection. Institutional milestones included growth after World War II, partnerships with federal programs connected to the Library of Congress, and response to crises such as Hurricane Katrina which prompted cooperative preservation efforts with the National Archives and Records Administration and the Preservation Hall Foundation.

Collections and Holdings

Holdings span manuscript collections, rare printed books, music archives, architectural drawings, photographs, maps, and audiovisual media documenting subjects from Creole culture and Crescent City urban development to transatlantic commerce and African diasporic networks. Significant named collections relate to individuals and organizations such as Isaac Mayer Wise, Sidney Hechinger, Andrew Higgins, Joe W. Brown, M.L. King Jr. papers (related materials), and regional newspapers including the Times-Picayune and the Louisiana Weekly. The repository also preserves records from institutions such as the New Orleans Opera Association, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the Pontalba Buildings, and the Vieux Carré Commission.

Manuscripts and Archives

Manuscripts and archives include political papers, business records, personal correspondence, organizational minutes, and legal documents tied to figures like James Carville, Edwin Edwards, William C. C. Claiborne, P. G. T. Beauregard, and families such as the Soniat family. Holdings document events including the Battle of New Orleans legacy, Reconstruction era governance in Louisiana, labor organizing tied to the International Longshoremen's Association, and maritime commerce with links to shipping companies like Delta Air Lines predecessors and shipbuilders such as Higgins Industries. The archive supports research on visual culture through photographic series connected to photographers like Eugene W. Smith and Gordon Parks (related images), and ephemera from civic campaigns, festivals, and legal proceedings involving entities such as the New Orleans Police Department.

Rare Books and Special Formats

The rare books collection features early imprints, regional imprints, religious texts tied to congregations such as St. Louis Cathedral (New Orleans), travel narratives documenting the Mississippi River and Caribbean crossings, and fine press works associated with presses like the Grolier Club and the Limited Editions Club. Special formats include broadsides, atlases, nautical charts used by firms like United States Coast Survey, sheet music linked to performers connected with the New Orleans Jazz Club, and artists' books from presses such as Corinth Books. Holdings include items by authors and printers associated with names like T. S. Eliot, Mark Twain, William Faulkner, Zora Neale Hurston, Nelle Harper Lee (related editions), and collections of regional poets and playwrights.

Services and Access

Services include research consultations, instruction sessions for courses in departments such as Department of History, Tulane University and School of Architecture, Tulane University, digitization and reproduction services, and controlled reading room access modeled after standards from the Society of American Archivists and the Association of Research Libraries. Access policies support scholars, students, genealogists, and journalists, with outreach to community partners such as the New Orleans Public Library and collaborative projects with institutions like the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library system. Interlibrary loan and digital exhibits facilitate broader dissemination through networks including the Digital Public Library of America.

Preservation and Conservation

Preservation efforts adhere to best practices from organizations including the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the American Institute for Conservation. The conservation lab treats books, maps, photographs, and audiovisual media damaged by flood, mold, and age, applying treatments informed by partnerships with the Library of Congress Preservation Directorate and regional conservation programs at the Newcomb Art Museum. Disaster preparedness planning reflects lessons from events involving Hurricane Katrina and coastal resilience initiatives with agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Outreach and Exhibitions

Exhibitions and public programs highlight holdings through curated displays, lectures, symposia, and community collaborations featuring scholars and figures connected to collections such as Ruth Emanuel, Ernest N. Morial, Terence Blanchard, Anne Rice, and performances tied to Preservation Hall. Traveling exhibits and local installations occur at venues like the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and neighborhood cultural centers. Educational outreach fosters connections with K–12 schools, artist residencies, and civic history projects in partnership with organizations such as the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.

Category:Tulane University