The Department of Special Collections in the Saint Louis University Libraries contains materials that because of their subject area, rarity, status, condition, or format are best organized, housed, and treated separately from the general collection. Special Collections consists of the following three units, each with its own mission and collecting criteria:

• Manuscripts and University Archives (located in the St. Louis Room)
• Rare Books (located in the St. Louis Room)
• Knights of Columbus Vatican Film Library

It is the mission of the Department of Special Collections to acquire, preserve, and make accessible primary source materials that support research and teaching of faculty, students, and visiting scholars.

Manuscripts and University Archives Unit

It is the mission of the Manuscripts and University Archives unit to acquire, preserve, and make accessible materials relating to Saint Louis University as an institution for research and teaching, as well as manuscripts of historical significance with research and teaching potential, particularly in the following categories:

1. Non-active records, in all formats, of the departments, offices, and organizations of Saint Louis University possessing enduring, historical, informational, or evidential value to the University

2. Academic or personal papers of University faculty, staff, or students that meet at least one of the following criteria

• The papers record the individual’s service to Saint Louis University and/or the individual’s contributions to the growth and development of the University
• The papers document the activities of an individual whose professional expertise or reputation extend beyond the Saint Louis University community
• The papers complement or otherwise enhance an existing collection in the University Archives

3. Academic or personal papers of alumni or an individual having some association with Saint Louis University that meet at least one of the following criteria:

• The papers document the activities of an individual whose professional expertise or reputation extend beyond the Saint Louis University community
• The papers complement or otherwise enhance an existing collection in the University Archives

4. All University publications as well as monographs, edited volumes, or books containing introductions or essays written by Saint Louis University faculty and staff (while employed by the University); publications by students and alumni are collected on a selective basis

5. Master’s theses and doctoral dissertations produced by students in degree-granting programs at Saint Louis University

6. Manuscripts of historical significance with research or teaching potential

The Department of Special Collections reserves the right to alienate in exercise of its professional judgment materials that are duplicate, deemed out of scope, or otherwise inappropriate for retention in the collections.

Rare Books Unit

It is the mission of the Rare Books unit to acquire, preserve, and make accessible significant printed books for research and teaching particularly in the following subject areas:

• History of the Catholic Church
• Catholic theology and philosophy
• History of medieval, Renaissance, and early modern Europe
• Society of Jesus
• Rhetoric
• St. Louis area history
• St. Louis Literary Award winners (select titles and exemplary copies)
• Reference works in printing history

The Rare Books unit houses all printed materials acquired by the library published before 1820 and selectively houses materials published after 1820 as determined on an individual basis according to subject area, rarity, status, condition, or format. The Department of Special Collections reserves the right to alienate in exercise of its professional judgment materials that are duplicate, deemed out of scope, or otherwise inappropriate for retention in the collections.

Knights of Columbus Vatican Film Library

It is the mission of the Knights of Columbus Vatican Film Library to preserve and make accessible to researchers in North America and elsewhere the manuscript resources of the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, and through its collections and public programs to support and promote research and teaching in medieval and Renaissance manuscript studies. The founders and staff of the Vatican Film Library believe that the artistic and intellectual achievements of the human experience are best understood historically by examination of primary source material and are devoted to facilitating and advancing basic research in the humanities through the study of manuscripts. In support of this mission, the Vatican Film Library strives to build around its microfilm collection of Vatican Library manuscripts a comprehensive reference collection of books, serials, microforms, electronic materials, and other media in all areas of manuscript studies, with special emphasis on—though not limited to—Vatican Library manuscripts, particularly in the following subjects:

• paleography
• codicology
• illumination
• manuscript catalogues, bibliographies, and other reference works
• manuscript facsimiles
• library history
• textual editing and transmission

The Department of Special Collections reserves the right to alienate in exercise of its professional judgment materials that are duplicate, deemed out of scope, or otherwise inappropriate for retention in the collections.

rev. 7/6/06