The Special Collections Reading Room (pictured above) is located on the 10th floor of Atkins Library Tower*. Along with the Reading Room, the 10th floor also has a large study area with the best views on campus!
Aside from the views, Special Collections and University Archives is where you can find unique materials like rare books, archives, and oral history interviews. We welcome students to explore our rare books and learn about campus and local history with original primary sources.
The materials below are some of our most requested items and talked about materials that we have, and as students, you have access to these collections! While the materials below are our most popular, you can search for items on any topic by searching our finding aids and rare books catalog.
*Due to major renovations of Atkins Library, our service point has been temporarily relocated from the 10th Floor to Atkins 123. Researchers will need to make an appointment to view our limited collection materials. Please see this tower closure announcement for further details.
Harry Golden Papers Part 1 and Part 2: Harry Golden was a prominent writer who extensively wrote about the Civil Rights movement and founded the Carolina Israelite. The collection includes his speeches, photographs, and research materials he used to write a biography of Carl Sandburg and various books about the Kennedy family. Golden was also a prominent supporter of Martin Luther King, Jr., and this collection contains letters from King to Golden.
Sermones de patientia in Job et de poenitentia: This is the oldest book in the library -- it was published in 1471! The pages of the book are rag paper, which was a traditional method in early printing of boiling rags together to mold them into pages. The book is a sermon from Saint John Chrysostom focusing on the Book of Job.
Julius L. Chambers papers: These papers come from Julius Chambers, the attorney who brought forth Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. This case established integration at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System after the court found in favor of the Swanns. Some highlights of the collection include a letter from James Swann's father asking for help, maps of the redistricting as evidence for the case, and correspondence between Chambers and civil rights leaders. This collection is also available digitally through Goldmine.
The declaration of independence by the citizens of Mecklenburg County: This is the first known printing of what was described as the Meck Dec, which is an incident that may have occurred on May 20th, 1775 when Mecklenburg County locals came together after the Battle of Lexington to write their support for the patriots in New England against the King. While there is no conclusive stance on if this incident occurred or not, Charlotte still celebrates Meck Dec Day every May 20th with parades and historical reenactments in Uptown.
Pop-Up Book Collection: Our pop-up book collection covers themes from architecture, artists books, and children's books. Pop-up books are housed in Special Collections due to their fragile nature. Some favorite selections include Dr. Ernest Drakes' Dragonology, The Pop-Up Book of M.C. Escher, and Robert Crowther's amazing pop-up house of inventions.
Horn book: This popular artifact comes from the 18th century and was a tool used to teach schoolchildren how to read and write. Our horn book is a wooden paddle with a sheet of parchment that includes the alphabet and various simple words that would teach students their basic writing skills.
