Criss Library's Special Collections include unique items of local, state and regional interest in addition to a wide variety of materials in many subject areas and formats, including Omaha and Nebraska history, pre-19th century books, autographed books and rare first editions.
Criss Library's special collections are available in the Special Collections area on the first floor of Criss Library. The area is open for supervised use Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Other times are available by appointment. To make an appointment or to obtain additional information, call (402) 554-2362 or (402) 554-2884.
Icarian Collection
The Icarian collection contains several hundred books formerly owned by a 19th Century utopian community based near Corning, Iowa. The collection consists of books published from the early 1700's to the late 1800's, most of them in French. The collection is of historical and sociological value to scholars of utopian studies and also includes documents, books, and articles relating to the history of the Icarian community.
Fine Arts Presses
Special Collections houses a large collection of fine arts press publications from around the United States. The most important of these are the Mary L. Richmond Cummington Press Collection and UNO's own Abattoir Editions.
Nebraska Authors and Literature
Special Collections has a number of first editions and autographed copies of books by Nebraska authors, but the most significant collections are those on Wright Morris, Weldon Kees, and Wayne C. Lee. In addition, Special Collections also houses archival collections (correspondence, manuscripts, etc.) of Steven Anderton, a Nebraska pulp fiction writer and newspaperman, and of Steppenwolf, a poetry magazine edited by Philip Boatright.
Omaha Federal Writer's Project (W.P.A.) Papers
This collection consists of hundreds of files of information collected in the 1930's by the Omaha Federal Writer's Project of the Works Project Administration. These files contain a wealth of unpublished material on Omaha and the surrounding area, including research for the uncompleted Omaha City Guide, and valuable information on the history of local newspapers and ethnic groups.
Other Collections and Materials
In addition to the collections described above, the Mary Munchoff Music Collection and the archives of the Omaha Theater Company for Young People (formerly the Emmy Gifford Children's Theater) are included in Special Collections.
|
|
|
