Fall classes at the University of Houston start next week, and before long the semester will be in full swing!

Special Collections will continue our summer hours through Sept. 7. On Sept. 8, we’ll start our semester hours, which means we’ll be open from noon to 4 p.m. most Saturdays. If you plan to visit the Reading Room and aren’t sure when we’re open, you can always check out our hours.

Here in Special Collections we have a number of tools to help with your classwork or research. We collect, preserve, and make available archives, rare books, and other great culturally and historically significant materials, so if you need to use primary sources, be sure to check us out. In addition to holding the University Archives, we also have materials related to Texas and Houston history, contemporary literature, architecture and planning, Hispanic collections, performing arts, Houston hip hop, and military history. Our Women’s Archive & Research Collection contains the records of women’s organizations and the papers of prominent Texas women. These materials document the range of women’s concerns, the ways in which women have come together to achieve their goals, and the impact they have had on the world around them. We also have a large collection of rare books.

Special Collections materials have also been digitized and can be found in the UH Digital Library. And if you need images for presentations, be sure to check out the Image Café.

Finally, if you find yourself in the M.D. Anderson Library on campus, be sure to check out our exhibits. Right now, you can see the DJ Screw and the Rise of Houston Hip Hop and Samplified Studios Mini-Exhibit, and later in the fall we’ll have an exhibit on music in medieval manuscripts.

If you need assistance with Special Collections materials, just contact the appropriate librarian:

Have a great semester!