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Special Collections and University Archives

Explore finding aids to discover primary sources.

On this site you can search finding aids describing over 500 manuscript collections held by Special Collections!

These collections provide research opportunities for students, scholars and community users and cover a wide range of topics, with emphasis on aviation, Wichita and Kansas history, women's organ-izations, abolition, U.S. Civil War and entrepreneurship. The various holdings are comprised of papers of organizations and individuals, diaries, company records, correspondence and other materials. Collections can range in size from a single document to hundreds of boxes. Unpublished materials in archival collections are usually one-of-a-kind items that exist only in the collection where a researcher finds them.

Certain collections are stored off-site, retrieval of which requires at least 48 hours.

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Finding aids are added to this site as collections are processed and made accessible to researchers.

This site includes links to archival material that has been digitized. More digitized material, including rare books, university archives and maps, is accessible at Digital Collections.

Books and other published print materials held by Special Collections and University Archives are described in the WSU Libraries online cata-log. Use the ''Special Collections & University Archives'' filter to limit the search. Books in Special Collections are available for onsite use only.

If you have questions about finding or accessing materials held by Special Collections and University Archives, please contact us at specialcollections@wichita.edu or 316-978-3590.