Welcome to Special Collections

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS WILL BE CLOSED APRIL 23 AND APRIL 30. SUMMER HOURS BEGIN APRIL 30.

 

Special Collections was founded in 1977 as the Southern Highlands Research Center with the mission of collecting resources that document the diverse culture and history of Asheville and Western North Carolina, a mission we continue to this day. Our collections include manuscripts, books, oral histories, photographs, and other materials.


University Archives includes records, photographs, and publications documenting the history of the University of North Carolina Asheville. Our archivists assist the UNC Asheville community with questions about records retention as outlined in the UNC System’s Records Retention and Disposition Schedule.

We welcome students, faculty, staff, community members, and researchers to use Special Collections and University Archives. We’re located on the third floor of D.H. Ramsey Library on the UNC Asheville campus. Our reading room hours are posted below and we are also available by appointment. As part of our mission to serve the UNC Asheville community, Special Collections also provides instruction, reference services, and internship opportunities to support undergraduate curricula and individual student research. Please contact us at speccoll@unca.edu for research assistance.

We are pleased to feature the Bill and Alice Hart Collection, a comprehensive collection of over 1200 monographs and over 25 linear feet of books and other materials documenting Western North Carolina history and culture. Read about the collection on the UNC Asheville News Site and in the Appalachian Curator.

Are you having trouble citing primary sources? Check out our guide to citing primary sources in Chicago/Turabian style.

Our Collections Include:

The Asheville Citizen-Times Photo Collection was donated to UNC Asheville Special Collections and represents over 100,000 images ranging from the late 1800s and into the early 2000s from the greater Asheville area. Due to the size of the collection, we anticipate it being a multi-year project to catalogue and it is NOT OPEN FOR RESEARCH at this time.

Hours for the Community- Spring 2025- Open By Appointment Only

Ramsey Library’s Special Collections are open by appointment only to the community– this allows our staff the time required to prepare for your visit. The Archives are closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Please contact us to make an appointment or for any reference questions. The best way to reach Special Collections is by email at speccoll@unca.edu or at amwhittle@unca.edu; PLEASE CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR DAILY SCHEDULE CHANGES.

Hours for Students, Faculty, and Staff ONLY- Spring 2025

Ramsey Library’s Special Collections are open for walk-ins or for Reading Room use on the following days and times for UNC ASHEVILLE STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF ONLY–

Monday/Wednesday: 9-12

Tuesday/Thursday: 12-3

CLOSED ON FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY

ALL OTHER TIMES ARE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

PLEASE CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR DAILY SCHEDULE CHANGES.

Notes on Making An Appointment:

When emailing to make an appointment, please make sure you include the following:

  1. The collection(s) you want to view- example: The Bill and Alice Hart Collection, M2022.02.
  2. The box number(s) from the collection you want to view- example: Box 5 and 8 (If the collection doesn’t have boxes, but another format, such as Binders, etc., please send that information).
  3. The days and times you are available to make an appointment, with your preferred date/time listed first.

Summer Hours are April 30-August 15: Open BY APPOINTMENT ONLY to Everyone

 

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