J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections is dedicated to preserving and sharing the past. Our collections whether in print, audio or digital formats enhance research at all levels.

The Special Collections department is divided into three sections:  Special Collections Services (SPEC), Digital Programs and Collections (DPaC) and Digital Scholarship (DSL). This department collects, creates, curates and disseminates rare, historical and digital materials for research. Collections include a variety of items from manuscripts and historic maps, to yearbooks and oral histories, to art and film. Services include instruction, reference and tools to support digital research.

The department unit was established in 1973 to care for the library's Rare Books and Manuscripts collections and University Archives. The organization of the unit was stimulated by a substantial gift by local businessman, bibliophile and art collector Harry L. Dalton for the purchase of rare books. The department, like the library, is open to the public and shares the University’s mission of advancing intellectual discovery by connecting people with knowledge.