UH Special Collections

Great news! The University of Houston community now has a *new* option to enter MD Anderson Library with a digital Cougar Card via the UH Go app.

Using a PAX reader, security staff can scan the QR code connected to each user’s Cougar Card and generated in the UH Go app, allowing students, faculty, and staff to pass through the security turnstiles without the need for a physical Cougar Card.

A successful pilot phase of PAX reader use in summer 2024 showed the digital option provides a quick, easy, and secure method of entry to MD Anderson Library.

Users retain the option to swipe or tap their physical Cougar Card for entry. Visitors without a digital or physical Cougar Card may enter with a valid, government-issued ID at the security desk.

Please join us in congratulating Katy Allred on her new project role as assistant university archivist in UH Special Collections 👏👏👏

Please describe your responsibilities in the new role. How will your work support the University’s upcoming centennial?

"In preparation for the UH centennial in 2027 and the anticipated increase in demand for access to and use of archival University materials, I will be arranging, describing, and preserving collections of personal papers and organizational records within University Archives. We will prioritize collections that document UH students, faculty, administration, colleges, programs, organizations, departments, and milestones. I will also assist with accessioning new materials and identifying materials that are good candidates for digitization. I will continue to do general reference work in the Reading Room to support researchers as well. Since starting my new role, I have already processed materials in the Sidney Berger Papers about the Houston Shakespeare Festival, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary this summer. Soon, I will begin work on UH President’s Office Records and Student Organization Records."

Please share a bit about your background and professional interests. How do these inspire and shape your approach as an archivist?

"I am originally from Bossier City, Louisiana, but my wife and I have lived in Houston for 8 years. I earned a BFA in Communication Design from Louisiana Tech University in 2010 and worked in graphic design for several years. I completed my MLIS remotely at the University of North Texas and graduated in August 2021. Before this role, I worked as a project archivist in UH Special Collections beginning in March 2020. I am especially interested in processing backlogs, developing policies and best practices for processing hybrid and born-digital archival collections, and making archival collections and spaces more accessible, more discoverable, and less intimidating. It’s important to me that all users feel like they belong in a reading room and can confidently access and use archival collections. I work with those goals in mind especially when I describe materials, write finding aids, assist researchers, and talk to potential patrons at outreach events."

What are some insights you’ve gained while processing archives?

"In my previous role as a project archivist, I processed the Dorothy Hood Papers, the José María Velasco Maidana Papers, the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Papers, the Margo Grant Walsh Papers, the PFLAG Houston Records, and a few other small collections. I enjoy processing because I love structure and making things usable, but I also love getting to be creative. Every collection requires creative problem-solving to create an accessible structure because every collection is different. Lives are messy, and I’ve learned that our records usually reflect the messiness, despite people’s best efforts. I approach each collection using what I’ve learned from the last one, all while knowing I’ll have to do things a little differently and be ready to learn new lessons to make the next collection navigable and understandable. It keeps me on my toes. I am looking forward to the challenges University Archives has in store!"

Reverend William A. Lawson, who passed away this Tuesday, May 14, 2024, was active in the civil rights movement, an associate of Dr. Martin Luther King, and the founder and long-time minister of Wheeler Baptist Church. Lawson was a UH Distinguished Community Scholar in Residence and was awarded an honorary doctorate from UH.

In this document from the UH President’s Records in the University Archives, Reverend Lawson invites UH faculty members to donate to a legal fund for fourteen UH students who belonged to a black student club called Afro Americans for Black Liberation (AABL). AABL’s activism on campus was a major contributor to establishing the African American Studies Program at UH, which became the Department of African American Studies.

We couldn't do it without our students! Thanks for all your hard work, Nine and Andrea!

Welcome Claire!

Claire Keck has joined UH Special Collections as the Graduate Assistant Exhibit Curator. Claire works with Archivist Vince Lee on curatorial selection, design, and installation of an exhibit on the history and impact of Houston area women’s clubs featuring materials from the Carey Shuart Women’s Research Collection. Below is a post from Claire introducing herself and what interests her in her new role.

"I'm Claire Keck, a master's student from the Center for Public History here at the University of Houston. The Public History program was appealing to me because of its flexibility within the history world, allowing me to gain experience in archives, oral history, and museums. I became most interested in museum work because of an applied museum studies course in my first semester. My desire to work in museums grew, and I am grateful to now be working on an exhibit. The most interesting aspects of this exhibit are the manifestations of women's activism, discovering some "slice of life" items, and focusing on the LGBTQ+ community. Since my thesis work is focused more on forms of activism and social history, I find the manifestations of women's activism, alongside the slice of life items, to be the most resonant for me."

Ryan Banda, Research for Aspiring Coogs in the Humanities (REACH) Intern, presented her research poster on Marvin’s Angels during Undergraduate Research Day 2024. Over the past year, Ryan has been working with mentor and archivist for the Houston and Texas History Research Collection Vince Lee on the Marvin Zindler Papers in UH Special Collections. Her interest and research project focuses on longtime Houston reporter and icon, Marvin Zindler, and his work through the Marvin’s Angels network in Houston and beyond. A physical and online exhibit will highlight her work at the conclusion of her project this spring.

The following is a blog post from our intern, James Burke. James comes to us from the Center for Public History, where he is pursuing his PhD in US History. James has been working with Archivist Vince Lee on selecting and curating materials from the Carey Shuart Women’s Research Collection for the upcoming Houston Comets exhibit this fall. In his post, James reflects on his internship experience and thought processes while putting this exhibit together: https://weblogs.lib.uh.edu/speccol/2024/04/09/houston-comets-the-first-dominate-wnba-dynasty/

Yay Nine!!

Go Andrea! 🙌🙌

In celebration of National Library Week and National Student Employment Week, we're featuring UH Libraries' outstanding student workers! Student employees are crucial to the success of UH Libraries. They gain work experience that matches their personal and professional interests while enriching their University life.

Andrea Tribble is a junior in African American Studies who works in UH Special Collections, where she supports university archivist Mary Manning in the organization, description, and accessibility of collections. She also engages with researchers and fulfills reference requests for archival materials.

“I have been working at the Libraries since the fall 2023 semester, when I started as an intern handling a collection of lecture recordings from the early-to-mid 2000s that were facilitated by the African American Studies department. One of my favorite things about working in Special Collections is knowing that I’m contributing to the sacred practice of preservation. Ensuring that the intellectual material, university history, and community records that we come into contact with are cared for properly and made accessible has been something I’ve come to take great pride in.”

Thank you, Andrea!

Photo courtesy of Andrea Tribble

We hope to see you this Saturday, March 30, at "Old Weird Houston: A Celebration of Out City's Hidden Histories" at the Orange Show! UH Special Collections will have amazing archival objects on display from the Art Guys, Axiom, Marvin Zindler, and Texas Music collections. We'll be there from 10:00 until 4:00 - come by and see us!

Send a message to learn more

Come view original manuscripts and books from Special Collections as part of the event Translating Wisdom: Classical Traditions from Around the World on Monday, April 1st from 11:00am-1:00pm in the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion!

Mark your calendars for March 25, 2024 @ 6:00 PM at the University of Houston Student Center South Theatre (4455 University Dr. 77204)!

UH Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program invites you to the Houston premiere FILM SCREENING of "Old Le****ns," a short film about Houston's own Herstorian and Activist Arden Eversmeyer and the Old Le****ns Oral Herstory Project (OLOHP).

Immediately following the screening will be a PANEL DISCUSSION with Meghan McDonough (Director, "Old Le****ns"), Sara Fernandez (Co-founder of The Banner Project), Joyce Gabiola (Archivist for the UH Libraries LGBTQ+ History Research Collection), Rengim Mutevellioglu (Cinematographer, "Old Le****ns"), and Barb Kucharczyk (one of Arden's dear friends and an OLOHP interviewee).

Join us for the OPENING RECEPTION at 6:00 PM and check out the small POP-UP EXHIBIT of archival materials from the UH Libraries LGBTQ+ History Research Collection that bring together Arden, the OLOHP, and Le****ns Over the Age of Fifty (LOAF), the local community organization that Arden founded in 1987 and is still going strong!

The UH student organization D***s the World will be helping to connect you with OLOHP books during the reception and after the program, while they last.

RSVP (not required): [email protected]

PARKING: Welcome Center Garage off MLK Blvd.

***sTheWorld ****nsOralHerstoryProject ****nsFilm

Go Joyce, Vince, and Polina!

Houston has played an integral role in hip hop music history and remains a renowned and respected hub, home to artists and groups who carved out a distinctive space in the American South. From the 1980s onward, rappers, producers, and DJs have created a community that has garnered national and international attention.

Currently on view in the front window of Special Collections (on the 2nd Floor in the Red Wing at the top of the main atrium stairs) are an assortment of books and examples of memorabilia from our Houston Hip Hop Research Collection. This collection includes a relatively modest grill from Paul Wall Grill. 😁✨

In honor of Presidents' Day, Special Collections is pleased to highlight one of our most recently acquired documents: an original letter signed by General George Washington from Valley Forge dated May 23, 1778. Part of the collection of Colonel Israel Shreve correspondence, the letter relates to personnel in the Continental Army, and in a postscript, possible British Army troop movements. This letter and all our collections are open to the public!

The Orange Show is hosting an event called “Old, Weird Houston: A Celebration of our City’s Hidden Histories.” College students can propose 20-minute presentations that come with a $100 honorarium. The proposals are due Thursday, February 15, and submitting a proposal is quick and easy: include your name, where you study, your topic of interest, and how you plan to execute your presentation—using a poster, a slideshow talk, a publication, a table display, or any other method imaginable! Please take a look at the flyer for more information. While the flyer states that the event is on Sunday, March 30th, it is actually on Saturday, March 30th.

Congrats to Christina Hoffman Gola, who has been named interim dean of UH Libraries!

Since 2021, Gola has served as associate dean for Organizational Development, Learning, and Talent (ODLT) with an integral role in strategic planning and fiscal management. She has been with UH Libraries for 15 years and was promoted to full librarian in 2021. She has served on UH Faculty Senate in leadership capacities, has partnered with Faculty Engagement and Development, and has collaborated with colleagues in the Provost’s Cabinet in their shared enterprise-wide roles. During the Libraries’ 2021 organizational restructure, Gola assumed leadership of facilities and information technology Libraries teams in addition to human resources and organizational development. She is also leading the “Reimagined Libraries” endeavor to enhance spaces and leverage campus partnerships for the benefit of our students and scholars.

Gola is a recognized leader and mentor in the profession on a national scale, having served in numerous influential roles such as the competitive Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Leadership Fellows program and president of the Texas Library Association (TLA). She was named as a University of North Texas Department of Information Science Outstanding Alumni in 2021.