University Archives and Special Collections 

The University Archives and Special Collections (UASC) supports several institutional needs, from teaching, outreach and curriculum enrichment, to developing creative products supporting milestones, anniversaries and significant events in the life of the university and assisting departments, staff and administrators with reference requests about the history of SPSU and KSU.

The UASC also acquires records that provide evidence of the activities of individuals and groups in North and Northwest Georgia. These include personal or family papers, organization records, local publications, research collections, and audio-visual and digital recordings.

  • The mission of the UASC is to identify, collect, and make accessible records of enduring value to preserve institutional and community memory into the future. These activities further the mission of Kennesaw State University by contributing to research activities, scholarly development, and public service initiatives that enhance the quality of life in our local communities and the wider world.
  • The Department of Archives and Records Management at Kennesaw State University was established in 2004 by the Chief Information Officer to manage the disposition of inactive records and to serve as a repository for materials of enduring value to the university. The innovative structure of the new department reflected the interdependence between records management and archival functions.   

    Hired as the first University Archivist, Dr. Tamara Livingston developed the core collection of the Archives from records stored in the basement of the Campus Services building and the Library vault, as well as local history donations acquired by Dr. Tom Scott, Professor of History. With rapid growth in the volume of records accumulated and an increase in the demand for services, the department added several new positions. In 2010, the Bentley Rare Book Gallery was moved from the management of the Horace W. Sturgis Library to Archives and Records Management, creating the Department of Archives, Special Collections and Records Management. During that same year, Robert Williams, retired Director of the Library, joined the staff as Senior Rare Book Curator and Dr. Tom Scott, Emeritus Professor of History, became the Campus Historian.   

    In 2010 the Department of Archives, Rare Books and Records Management merged with the Museum of History and Holocaust Education (MHHE) to create the Department of Museums, Archives, and Rare Books (MARB). Under the leadership of Associate Vice President Dr. Catherine Lewis and Executive Director Dr. Tamara Livingston, the department includes the MHHE, the Bentley Rare Book Museum, the KSU Archives, the Records and Information Management program, and a Special Projects unit.

    The first library collection for the Southern Technical Institute was developed in 1959 by Dorothy Crosland, a librarian at Georgia Tech. She was enlisted to assist with setting up the new library, which was managed as a branch of the Georgia Tech Library until 1972. Archival and special collections at Southern Polytechnic State University were created organically as individual items and collections were donated or transferred to the library. It was not until 1991-1992 that archival materials were separated from the general library collection.   

    The Archives and Special Collections at Southern Polytechnic State University were expanded over the years by librarians who took on additional responsibilities to ensure that the records were preserved. SPSU's first full-time archivist, Elizabeth Keathley, was hired in 2005 to expand access to collections.   

    Prior to the consolidation, the Kennesaw State University Archives assumed operation of the SPSU Archives and Special Collections in August 2014, with the departure of the last Archivist/Librarian, Erin Grant. With the consolidation of the two universities in 2015, the Archives assumed full responsibility for Southern Polytechnic records and special collections.  

    In 2021, the name of the unit was officially changed to University Archives and Special Collections.

  • The UASC seeks to develop an inclusive record of the activities of Kennesaw State University and to document the work of individuals and organizations in northwest Georgia. It accomplishes this through internal collaborations with KSU administrators, faculty, staff, and students, and external partnerships with peer institutions and community members.   

    The staff of the UASC provides professional, efficient, and cooperative services that meet archival best practices. The UASC is committed to continuous improvement, community engagement, transparent practices, innovative solutions, and long-term planning. 

  • The UASC identifies, collects, and makes accessible records of enduring value to preserve institutional and community memory into the future. Our collections include material from different cultures and time periods, and as a result, some of the materials presented here may reflect outdated, biased, offensive, and possibly violent views and opinions due to pervasive systemic intolerance. In addition, some cultural heritage institutions collect and preserve materials relating to violent or graphic events which are preserved for their historical significance. 

    Some of the materials in our collections may be harmful or difficult to view. We provide access to these materials to preserve the historical record, but we do not endorse the attitudes, prejudices, or behaviors found within them. 

    This statement was created by the staff of the KSUASC and was adapted from the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)’s Statement on Potentially Harmful Content. 

  • As part of its mission, the UASC is committed to reflect the diversity of the campus and wider community in its collections. To achieve this objective, UASC staff seeks to acquire records from individuals and groups that have been historically underrepresented or that typify the changing demographics of the university and the region.

 

Contact and Visit

The University Archives and Special Collections has two reading room locations, one at each campus. The UASC reading room on KSU's Kennesaw Campus is located on the second floor of the Sturgis Library.

*Research visits are by appointment only and must be scheduled in advance. For questions and scheduling appointments please fill out the service request form.

  • Email: archives@kennesaw.edu

    Tel: (470) 578-6289

    Kennesaw Campus
    Entrence of Stergis Library on KSU's Kennesaw Campus

    Horace W. Sturgis Library
    385 Cobb Avenue
    Rooms 209-227
    Kennesaw, GA 30144 

    Marietta Campus
    Entrance and sign of Johnson Library on KSU's Marietta Campus

    Lawrence V. Johnson Library
    (Building C)

    Suite 263
    Marietta, GA 30060

    Mailing Address

    University Archives and Special Collections
    Kennesaw State University
    385 Cobb Avenue
    MD 1704
    Kennesaw, GA 30144

  • Hours of Operation:

    Monday through Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., with the exception of university holidays. Research visits are scheduled by appointment only. Please contact UASC staff for more information.

    Directions

    The University Archives and Special Collections reading room on KSU's Kennesaw Campus is located on the second floor of the Sturgis Library.

    Directions from I-75: Take Exit 271 (Chastain Road). Turn west on Chastain Road. At the second intersection turn right on Kennesaw State University Road. This road will dead end into a visitor parking lot, which is adjacent to the Library Building (Building 385).   

    Directions from Cobb Parkway (US-41): Turn east on McCollum Parkway, and continue as it becomes Chastain Road. At the fifth intersection, turn left on Kennesaw State University Road. This road will dead end into a visitor parking lot, which is adjacent to the Library Building. 

    Parking

    Additional parking information is available. Guest parking is available at all lots on the weekends and weekdays after 7 p.m. Paid visitor parking is available during alternate hours.
SERVICE REQUEST FORM

Staff Directory

Our professional archivists provide a range of services, including collection description and organization, reference consultations, reproduction requests, record transfers and donations, and training opportunities, as well as guidance on the preservation and maintenance of paper, audio-visual, and digital materials. Get to know our staff as we invite you to explore unique collections that serve as a gateway to the past for researchers, scholars and curious minds alike.

Name
Position
  • Christian Kelly

    Digital Archivist

    ckelly34@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-2225
    LB 216

  • Tamara Livingston

    Executive Director, Museums, Archives, and Rare Books & Part-Time Associate Professor of Music History

    tlivings@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6989
    LB 218A

  • Archivist & Part-Time Assistant Professor of English

    kmathen1@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6289
    LB 218A

  • Tom Scott

    Professor Emeritus of History

    tscott@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6254
    LB 233

  • Maggie Thomas

    Archivist

    mthom455@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-4883
    LB 216

  • JoyEllen Williams

    Curator

    jfree110@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-2682
    LB 212