UCSB Special Research Collections (SRC) is committed to collecting, preserving, and facilitating engagement with important cultural heritage collections and primary source materials in a range of formats and media. Our rare and unique holdings include books and other published materials, manuscripts and archives, photographs, scrapbooks, ephemera, moving image and audio recordings, graphic art collections, and born-digital files. We continue to acquire new holdings of historical, cultural, and/or institutional value that support teaching and learning on our campus and that add to our active collecting areas-see list below. We foster engagement with cultural heritage and historical records through instruction, public programming, outreach, and digitization efforts in collaboration with partners across the Library, University, local and state communities, and across the globe. 

We support UCSB Library’s goals of open access, collaboration, and critical engagement with our holdings, as well as sustainable stewardship, through thoughtful and informed collection development that prioritizes use of collections. We strive to build collections that reflect the diversity of our campus and local communities, spark intellectual curiosity, support student learning, and cultivate lasting partnerships. 

History

The Department of Special Research Collections was officially established in late March 1959 and soon a small collection called “Special Collections” was developed alongside several other already earmarked “special collections" which included the Wyles Collection, the Printers Collection, University and Faculty Archives and “Stack D.” SRC grew initially with gifts from Santa Barbara residents and local scholars, with early botanical works by California horticulturist Ellwood Cooper; first editions of 19th century Americans such as Longfellow, Whittier and Emerson from the Roxana Lewis Dabney Memorial of 1913; along with other works which recalled the early curriculum of the school. Throughout the last 50-plus years, SRC has broadened its scope of collections and has been able to successfully expand its holdings through a combination of significant collection donations, financial gifts, and strong institutional support for collecting initiatives, such as the California Ethnic & Multicultural Archives (CEMA) and the American Discography Project.

Collection Scope and Core Subject Strengths 

The following groups of collections have been established to allow the continued, focused, development of our special collections holdings, supporting the work of the University and enhancing existing research and teaching: 

Collections in these areas are the main focus of our work and are prioritized in terms of processing, fundraising, teaching, exhibits, and other activities.

For information about donating materials to Special Research Collections, please visit our Giving to Special Research Collections page.

Implementation and Review Schedule 

This policy will be reviewed periodically by the Library Administration, including the Associate University Librarian for Research Resources & Scholarly Communication and the Director of SRC. A comprehensive review will take place every five years, with the next comprehensive review occurring in 2029.