Research Resources

Axe Library Research Resources

University Archives- We are the official repository for all Pittsburg State University records. Yearbooks, newspapers, photographs, department records, faculty publications, and many other university-related materials can be viewed in our reading room in Axe Library.

Special Collections- Pittsburg State’s Special Collections have many distinctive materials available for research, such as:

• Manuscripts - Interested in Southeast Kansas history? We have over 400 manuscript collections documenting local and regional history. Finding aids for our collections can be viewed online or in our reading room.
• Digital Collections - Pittsburg State’s online institutional repository, hosted by Digital Commons, contains thousands of PSU and local history items. Faculty papers, programs, photographs, and all yearbooks through 2010 are just some of the full-text items available for use. Browse Digital Commons and learn more.
• Photographs - Our extensive collection of photographs and postcards document the history of the university and the surrounding communities. Some have been digitized and can be viewed in Digital Commons. For more information, or to obtain permission to use an image in a publication, please contact us.
• Newspapers & Periodicals - Print and microfilm copies of many local and historic newspapers are available for use in the archives. Titles include the Pittsburg Headlight-Sun, the Collegio, and the Appeal to Reason.

Scholarly journals affiliated with the university, such as the Midwest Quarterly and the Little Balkans Review, are also held in Special Collections. Articles can be requested using our contact information.

• Maps/Atlases - Our local and regional map collection has city and county plat maps, road maps and travel guides, mining maps, and many others. Contact us to view or learn more about our map collection.
• County & City Records - Ledgers from Crawford County and Neosho County government offices dating back to the 19 th century are located in our repository. Please contact us to inquire.
• Monographs - Our repository also has thousands of titles that can be searched with the library catalog. The Ertman and Teller Collections of science fiction books and the Kansas Collection are just some of the many monographs we have available for research.
• Artwork - Special Collections has a large collection of art with both two-dimensional and three-dimensional pieces. Works by artists with connections to the region or the university, such as Ted Watts, Marjorie Schick, and Margaret Whittemore, are stored and preserved in our repository. Contact us to find out more.
• Audio/Visual - Sound and video recordings of graduation ceremonies, concerts, plays, and other special events can be found in our collections. If you are looking for a recording of a specific event, please call or email Special Collections. A staff member will discuss your options for viewing or listening to available recordings.

Antique photo of librarians working in the old Porter Library