Special Collections and University Archives Resources for APS1704: Books, Manuscripts, & Maps in Special Collections and University Archives

New Theatre (the Lyric) and Store Building for the Blacksburg Realty Company

Hours: 
Monday-Friday 9am-5pm & By Appointment

Contact us:
Email: specref@vt.edu
Telephone: 540-231-6308
X: @VT_SCUA
Information for Visitors

Find us online!
Our website
Our digital collections
Our blog
Our LibGuide (Information about us and our collections)

Locating books in Special Collections and University Archives that relate to aspects of (public) humanities, culture, and other topics depends on a few factors and may take multiple searches. We recommend using the library's catalog. If you have having trouble generating search terms, try some of the tools listed in the "Additional Guides & Search Tools" section.

A few tips:

• Limiting your search to Special Collections and University Archives will ONLY include materials housed within the department (books, manuscript collections, and media). You can do this by going to "Advanced Seach," selecting "Item Type," and checking the boxes for "SPEC material rstor" and "Spec in-house." This will find materials that are part of Special Collections housed in our off-site facility and in the department, respectively.
• A general search will find materials in Special Collections and University Archives, in Newman Library, the Art & Architecture Library, other branches, and the Library Service Centers (off-site materials which can be requested).
• Catalog records, by nature, contain a mix of subjective and object elements. Subject headings are authoritative and control, but are applied to a record by an individual who may interpret an item in a specific way. Don't be afraid to explore different words or headings.

If you are having trouble searching, we encourage you to contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 231-6308) or come by when we're open (M-F 9am-5pm) and our staff will be happy to lend a hand!

Special Collections and University Archives is home to more than 3,000 manuscript collections, many of which deal with aspects of Appalachian culture. Finding aids (collection guides) for processed manuscript collections are available through Archival Resources of the Virginias (ARVAS), a two-state finding aid portal. You can limit your search to "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University." Searching all collections will do a full-text search of all guides.

We have specifically identified more than 1,000 collections or items in our guides which relate to local/regional/Appalachian history, which you can browse online. You can also limit these results using facets or search within this results list for a specific word, words, or phrase. 

We also have unprocessed collections and collections with limited descriptions. If you are having trouble locating relevant materials we encourage you to contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 231-6308) or come by when we're open (M-F 9am-5pm) and our staff will be happy to lend a hand!

The majority of our Historical Map Collection focuses on Virginia and, more specifically, Southwest Virginia, but we have world, national, and regional maps, too. With maps dating back to the 17th century, these items can offer an interesting look at the changing landscape of Virginia and related areas. Our collection of Virginia Tech maps includes some history of Preston lands that were or continue to be part of the campus, as well.

Our historical maps are described online along with our manuscript collections.

You can also view maps by geographical area via our preserved, legacy map guide. Note: This resource has not been updated since 2018 and may be out of date. You can always use the link above to search of a map from the legacy guide.  

• Virginia (state maps)
• Virginia Counties 
• Southwest Virginia by County
• Montgomery County, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Radford
• Virginia Tech Campus Maps