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Louisa H. Bowen University Archives & Unique Collections: University Archives

University Archives

The Louisa H. Bowen University Archives & Unique Collections department is responsible for preserving the formats of materials that document the history of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and its impact upon Southwestern Illinois.  Among the categories of such materials are University Records, Faculty Papers, University Photographs, SIUE Publications, and SIUE Authors. 

University Records

The department preserves paper format university records of enduring informational value from 1957 through the present.  These materials are arranged in records series and reflect the organizational structure of the institution.  The staff assists researchers to locate record series likely to contain information relating to the nature of each specific research inquiry. 

Faculty Papers

Certain SIUE faculty members have chosen to donate their personal papers to the university prior to or after retirement.  These collections sometimes reflect an individual’s teaching and service activities within the university and sometimes reflect an individual’s scholarly research interests and activities.  We continue to welcome the donation of such collections. 

University Photographs

Negatives of photographs created by the university photographers from the years 1957 through 2003 (prior to adoption of digital photography) are preserved.  These images are arranged in chronological order.  Upon request, digital images can be produced from these original negatives.

SIUE Publications

Paper format publications created by units of the university are maintained.  Such publications include university catalogs, directories, yearbooks, newsletters, and magazines.  Many of these have been digitally reformatted and are accessible and searchable online. 

SIUE Authors

The department holds a collection of books and monographs authored by individual SIUE faculty members, students, staff, and alumni.  These titles are included and described in the library’s online public access catalog.  These titles may be checked out. 

Shurtleff College

Shurtleff College in Alton, Illinois, is regarded as a predecessor institution to SIUE.  Shurtleff ceased operation in 1957.  SIUE acquired the property on a lease/purchase agreement and began offering classes at its Alton Residence Center in July of that year.  The School of Dental Medicine is located on the former Shurtleff campus.  The University Archives inherited some Shurtleff institutional records and preserves some college publications.  The Shurtleff yearbooks and the student newspaper have been digitized and are available online.