About Special Collections

On August 24, 1988, Chancellor Frederick W. Obear formally established the Library as the university's institutional memory, and authorized librarians to "coordinate the acquisition and administration of all records, documents, and reference materials pertaining to the history of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga." Since Obear’s declaration, the scope of Special Collections has grown to include cultural heritage resources that document Chattanooga, the Tennessee Valley, and the South, in addition to the history of the University.

Special Collections supports a wide range of researchers including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, members of the community, and other scholars whose work relies on primary source materials. Additionally, the repository manages Scholarly Communications, including open publishing and data management initiatives on campus. In June 2017, Special Collections accepted joint responsibility for the curation of the Chattanooga History Collections, which is co-owned by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Public Library.

Special Collections stewards nearly 4,500 linear feet of archival material, more than 14,000 print books, theses, and journals, and over 35 terabytes of digitally captured surrogates and born-digital assets. 

Mission

Special Collections preserves and provides access to distinctive collections and fosters critical engagement with the past.

Vision

Special Collections ethically stewards collections that reflect our community and actively removes barriers to access by engaging diverse perspectives.