Library Overview
The University of Connecticut's Archives and Special Collections began in 1965. Early efforts focused on transferring rare books from the main library and building literary collections. Significant early collections included the papers of Charles Olson, Robert Creeley, Fielding Dawson, and Joel Oppenheimer, who taught or were students at Black Mountain College.
A children's literature collection began in the 1960s and expanded with the deposit of Billie Levy's children's book collection which formed the nucleus of the Northeast Children's Literature Collection. Major collections include the papers of James Marshall, Tomie dePaola, Jane Dyer, Richard Scarry, and Ed Young.
In 1978, the library established the Historical Manuscripts and Archives Department, which developed the University Archives, currently its largest collection. It also acquired political papers of Senator Thomas Dodd, Senator Prescott Bush, and 11 members of the House of Representatives. Another major focus is Connecticut history, business, and labor. The library developed a comprehensive labor archives during the 1980s and actively collected Connecticut business records with a special focus on manufacturing and railroad industries.
The two special collections programs combined in 1995 with the opening of the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, a purpose-built facility designed for special collections and supporting an active program of exhibits and public events. Its public programs include the Edwin Way Teale Lecture on Nature and the Environment, the Raymond & Beverly Sackler Distinguished Lecture, the Greenwich Capital Market Lecture, and the Connecticut Children's Book Fair.
The center's most recent collecting focus is on human rights. This collection builds on Senator Thomas Dodd's involvement as a prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials. Important collections include the library and records of the Human Rights Internet and papers from the African National Congress.
University of Connecticut
Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
405 Babbidge Road Unit 1205
Storrs, Connecticut 06269-1205
http://www.doddcenter.uconn.edu/
(860) 486-2524 (t)
(860) 486-4521 (f)
