Among the miles of manuscript and archival collections held by the Library’s Special Collections & Archives are the unique letters, diaries, field notebooks, writings, photographs, audio-visual materials and ephemera that reveal a person’s contributions to their chosen field of endeavor. Often included are some “unexpected” objects that get classified as “miscellaneous” and items that reveal something of the personal life of the artist, writer or scientist…his slide rule or ration card, her colorful art works, his typewriter, a president’s book. Other items travel to the Library’s collections via a special occasion or event in the life of the campus…a unique ship model, a ceremonial shovel.
Unlike most of the books in the Library’s circulating collection, the majority of materials in Special Collections & Archives used to belong to other people. Then, through purchase or donation, these objects found their way to UC San Diego.
We invite you to peruse a sampling of these materials in this exhibit, Other People’s Things, which will be on display at Geisel Library through December 13. Primarily non-book material, each item has a story that explains its history and why it’s important to retain that object in the Library’s collections.
Contact:
Special Collections & Archives
speccoll@ucsd.edu