Special Collections

About...

Colorado State University Libraries Archives & Special Collections department collects rare and unique materials in subject areas that support the University’s current research and education mission. The rare book collection contains over 20,000 original materials, including antiquities, fine bindings, and primary and secondary resource materials donated by individuals and organizations.

Our systematic program, initiated in 1974, has been dedicated to acquiring pieces that represent significant periods, media, processes, places, and individuals in the history of the written and printed word. This commitment has resulted in a collection with a historical range that spans from cuneiform tablets over 4000 years old to modern first editions, underscoring the historical significance of our collection.

The department focuses on research use, access, and instruction for rare materials in various collecting areas, including agriculture, Colorado State University, equine medicine, posters, publications, 19th-century American West documents, rare maps,  book arts, and water resources. The collection also features numerous Named Collections, showcasing second-wave feminist press literature, rare music texts, Vietnam War literature, Germans from Russia history, and more.