Special Collections
The Harvey A. Andruss Library Special Collections at CU-Bloomsburg consists of more than 15,000 monographs, some dating back to the 1600s, as well as manuscript collections on a wide range of research topics (see below). The books are part of the collections due to a variety of reasons, including early imprint date, uniqueness or scarcity, of local value or interest, and a relationship to existing research areas and collections.
Access to the material in Special Collections is in the in the University Archives Reading Room during scheduled hours. The Reading Room is located on the 3rd floor of the library, opposite the main stairs and to the left of the elevator..
Scheduled hours for Spring & Fall semesters:
Hours during the Summer are by appointments only, so please contact the University Archivist/Coordinator of Special Collections in advance for assistance, by phone at 570-389-4210 or by email.
Subject area concentrations for a number of books include the following topics:
In addition to these areas, Special Collections also features:
The manuscript collections found in the Andruss Library Special Collections cover a variety of topics, including local history, the American Revolution, transportation, radical labor, unionization, the performing and visual arts, circuses, and the mine fire in Centralia. The descriptions in the following list include a link to the collection finding aid.
The papers include the original diaries of Hessian Revolutionary War officer Captain Johann Ewald. The diaries date from 1776-1784, and cover his service with the British Army during the war. They also include many colored pen-and-ink maps drawn by Ewald, most done while in the field.
Contains photographs depicting various covered bridges, buildings, streams, mountains, landscapes, farm scenes, and trees, taken between 1920 and 1975.
The S Club was founded in 1912—with the “S” standing for study and service—as a women’s literary club. It met regularly to learn about and discuss issues of interest to its members. The collection contains primarily minute books dating from 1930-1971.
J. J. Lankes (1884-1960) was an illustrator and woodcut print artist. The collection contains numerous examples of his work from exhibition programs, books and magazines, and a set of prints of his woodcut art.
Contains consisting extended of runs of a number of magazines on classic automobiles, as well as several books, dating from 1965 to 1998.
Contains black & white and color slides dating from 1941 and 1942, primarily from downtown Indianapolis, showing major streets, intersections, and traffic patterns throughout the city. Some are dated to the exact time of day they were taken. Also images from Lafayette, Indiana; St. Louis, Missouri; and Washington, DC.
Contains primarily fliers but also brochures, catalogs, pamphlets, small posters, and speeches documenting a variety of issues that students and young people in the Berkeley and San Francisco Bay area faced from 1966 to 1972. These include the Vietnam War, the draft, mind-expanding drugs, race, politics, educational issues on the University of California campus and concerts by local rock groups.
Contains books and ephemera about covered bridges, especially those found in Pennsylvania. The books can be found in the online catalog.
Contains images of people, buildings and events taken in Bloomsburg, Columbia County and the surrounding area and published in the Morning Press newspaper between January, 1936 and January 1958.
Contains publications produced by and about the Bloomsburg Fair, including brochures, official souvenir guides and programs, and special issues from the local newspaper, dating from 1954 to 2023.
Contains annual reports, calendars, directories, and histories of the church.
Contains publications of the Society, primarily histories published between 1962 and 1978 and newsletters, 1987-2014.
Contains pamphlets on numerous topics dealing with local and Pennsylvania history, published from 1916 to 2003.
The collection documents the former Magee Carpet Company of Bloomsburg from the 1940s to 1970s, especially the movement to unionize its workers, ultimately successful, carried out from 1965 to 1968. Contains publications, correspondence, legal documents, and newspaper clippings.
Contains more than 50 books created to be works of art in themselves. Full records for each of the titles can be found in the library’s online catalog.
The research files of Joan Quigley, who wrote the 2007 book "The Day the Earth Caved In: An American Mining Tragedy," about the coal mine fire that devastated the town of Centralia, Pennsylvania.
Contains primarily programs from theater productions attended by Harold and Virginia Barto, in both New York City and London, from the 1950s to 2000s.
Documents the activities of the local chapter of the Rotary Club from 1952 to 2022 and includes numerous chapter publications, reports, correspondence, and meeting minutes.
