The Special Collections Department acquires, preserves, catalogs, and provides reference services to research materials which document the history and development of Pensacola and the West Florida region (ten counties of the Florida Panhandle, between the Perdido and Apalachicola Rivers) from earliest settlement to the present time. It is the largest West Florida research collection in existence and a major repository dealing with Florida and the Gulf Coast region.
The Department is also the University Archives for the University of West Florida and the repository for the library’s rare and unique books.
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The collections comprise some 700 individual manuscript and archival collections, 30,000 photographs, 2,000 maps, and 10,000 Bibliography of West Florida items. Altogether, the collections exceed 800,000 items. Subject areas include history, geography, genealogy, environmental studies, art and architecture, health and medicine, biography, technology, legal history, archaeology, and other subjects pertinent to West Florida, its people, organizations, and institutions. Special Collections include:
Manuscript and Archival Collections - personal papers, family papers and genealogy, business records, subject collections, government records. For a partial catalogue of our holdings, see our Guide to the Manuscripts and Special Collections.
UWF Special Collections Catalog: Holdings Database and Digital Archives (Archon) - Special Collections holds over 700 individual collections of manuscripts, personal papers, archives, business records, photographs, and other research sources. Each collection is described in the library catalog with subject and name access, however each collection has a far more detailed inventory describing the contents of folers, boxes, and individual items. These inventories are searchable through this database (Archon) permitting subject, personal name, and keyword search of all collections.
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The West Florida Photohistory database contains thousands of photographs of the Bell Collection. Henry Bell operated a photograph studio in Pensacola 1911-1949, and these images are of Pensacola individuals, families, weddings, theatre actors, visitors to the area, politicians, and others. We hope to expand this project to include other images from the thousands of area photographs (lumbering, street scenes, historic buildings, fires, etc.) in Special Collections, but these are not yet online. The West Florida Photohistory Project is part of the PALMM (Publication of Archives, Libraries, and Museum Materials), a cooperative project of Florida's state universities. |
PALMM (Publication of Archives, Libraries, and Museum Materials) is a cooperative web portal among Florida's eleven state university libraries, as a means of digitizing rare Floridiana-related materials and making them available. As materials are added or contributed, they are placed in collection groupings (e.g. Maps, Legal Materials, etc.), however using the search box at the top of the portal permits one to search all materials regardless of their type.
An important part of PALMM is the new collection type "Archives Florida." This brings together the inventories of manuscripts and personal papers held by different university archives and special collections and permits searching across institution.
Related PALMM links: http://palmm.fcla.edu/ http://palmm.fcla.edu/afl/
Searching Various Collections: http://digitoolt.fcla.edu:8881
Rare Books and West Florida Regional Publications - rare books, early editions, books autographed by authors, West Florida subjects.
Maps in Special Collections - early maps of Florida and the Americas, manuscript maps, West Florida maps, early gazetteers.
West Florida Newspaper Collections - newspaper titles published in West Florida, 1821-present.
Photograph Collections - daguerreotypes, glass plates, photographs of people, families, scenes, businesses, etc., primarily of the West Florida region, 1850's to the present.
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UWF is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year. Please visit our new UWF 40th Anniversary Visual History Virtual Exhibit and add your UWF story! |
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Special Collections is located in Room 006 in the basement of John C. Pace Library. When you step off the elevator on the basement floor, you are in our lobby. You may view a map of our location. |
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Special Collections currently observes the following schedule:
| Monday & Tuesday | 8:30 a.m. - noon; 12:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday - Friday | 8:30 a.m. - noon; 12:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. |
| Saturday & Sunday | CLOSED |
View our schedule for holidays and other times of the year on the Library Hours page.
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Special Collections staff assist users to identify Special Collections materials. Special Collections staff will retrieve materials for users. Copying of materials in the Special Collections Department is done only by Special Collections staff. Tours and instruction are provided by the Special Collections staff.
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Users should be careful when handling materials. Handle items (maps, photographs, newspapers, manuscripts) by their edge. Do not bend or lean on materials. Special Collections materials must be used in the Department. They do not circulate. Special Collections staff will retrieve materials for users. Do not mark on any Special Collections materials. Materials must be left in the same order as they were received. Refrain from using “Post-It” notes or any form of “removable” tabs or tapes on any material. |
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Special Collections materials do not circulate out of the Department. Copying of materials in the Special Collections Department is done only by Special Collections staff.
Users should be prepared to present a Nautilus Card or cash when requesting copies. Payment by check payable to the University of West Florida is acceptable provided users notify staff at the time of their request that they will be utilizing this option.
All photographic reproduction requests should be discussed with the Special Collections staff to determine the size (5 by 7 to 20 by 24) of the photograph or slides requested. These orders are sent out of the Department and when the order is completed, Special Collections staff will notify and invoice requesters for the charges. Cash or checks may be used to pay for these orders. Negatives resulting from photograph orders remain the property of the Department.
Special Collections staff retain the right to refuse copy or photo-reproduction requests. Requests can be denied depending upon the copyright or legal restrictions on items, the condition of materials, when copying would further damage an item, and other situations to be determined by the library staff.
Copies and photographic reproductions are made for the convenience of the researcher and may not be reproduced in another from or deposited with another library or archives without express written permission of the Special Collections Librarian.
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Special Collections welcomes gifts of published and unpublished materials, including letters, correspondence, reports, minutes, planning documents, financial statements, programs, brochures, newsletters, photographs, maps, and similar materials concerning the people, organizations, history, and development of West Florida.
Materials that are not suitable for the collection may be returned to the donor, placed in other UWF library collections, or forwarded to other libraries and archives.
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Call the Special Collections staff at (850-474-2213) or send an email to ddebolt@uwf.edu.
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