TAMUG Archives & Special Collections    

The Texas A&M at Galveston, Jack K. Williams Library Archives and Special Collections collects, preserves, and provides access to books and records of enduring value. The collections reflect the interests of our community and major areas of study. Our collection strengths include the history of the Texas A&M at Galveston campus; maritime issues; naval history; and Galveston and Texas history. We collect in three different areas:

• University Archives: The repository for records created by entities at Texas A&M University at Galveston.  These consist of materials related to the founding and running of the university, university organizations, and student life. Examples of these materials include budgets; brochures and rule books for the Texas Maritime Academy; commencement programs; and advertisements for events on campus. Due to the confidential nature of university records, access to some physical and digital items may be restricted. For more details about University Archives, please contact the library.

• Manuscript Collection: These materials are in a variety of formats including papers, unpublished manuscripts, VHS tapes, CD’s, DVD’s, film, and 2x2 photographic slides.  These are primarily papers of current and former faculty and include information about their research, teaching, and contributions to the university and scientific community. The collection also includes materials such as local interest collections with a maritime focus and log books.

• Special Collections: These materials are in a variety of formats including books, VHS tapes, LP’s, and 2x2 photographic slides. Our special collections books consist of materials written by current and former faculty, local or state history materials, and rare or fragile books that are relevant to our major areas of study.  Some of the major collections include the Titanic (Anderson) Collection, the Laffite Society Collection (Jean and Pierre Laffite; pirates and piracy in Galveston and Barataria), books written by Margaret Swett Henson, and a large group of magazines and books collected by Babe Schwartz, which accompany his personal papers.

How to Find And Use Our Collections

• Finding aids (detailed inventories) for the University Archives (here)and for our Manuscript Collection (here) are available via our Digital Repository. Access to the University Archives is restricted to on-campus TAMUG users only.
• Records for most of our special collections materials are listed in the library’s catalog and can be found by searching http://tamug.worldcat.org/

Who can view these resources?

• These materials are available to students, faculty, staff, and the general public; however, they must be kept inside the library.

How to access Archives and Special Collections:

• Due to the fragile nature of some of the materials and the desire to preserve our collections for the future, Archives and Special Collections are not freely accessible like other library resources.  They are in closed stacks (behind a locked door) and are for in-library use only.
• To view these collections, please contact the Jack K. Williams Library. (Walk-in visits are accepted; but to expedite your visit, we recommend making an appointment.)