The document provides an overview of the history and collections of the University of Texas Libraries including its founding collections from the 19th century, major collections acquired over time focused on Texas history and the American West, and how the library builds and preserves its collections through donations, purchases, and archives transfers.

2. The Library
and its Treasures

3. Building History
Texas Collection
Texas Collection
1934-1950
1884-1911
1911-1934 ,1950-1971
1971- Present
Texas History Collection/ Briscoe Center
Barker Texas History Center for American History

4. Library at a Glance
200,000 items
•books •pamphlets
•ephemera
•Magazines
Concentrations
• Texas History
•Antebellum South
• Western Americana
• University publications

5. FOUNDING COLLECTIONS
•Swante Palm
•Ashbel Smith
•Littlefield Fund for Southern History
The London Times, Texas Supplement.
March 31st, 1925.

6. Major Collections
•Frank Kell Collection of Rocky Mountain West
•Vandale Collection of Western Americana
•Beadle Dime Novels
•Eberstadt Western Americana Collection
•University of Texas Publications
•Frank Caldwell Collection of Texana
•Natchez Trace Periodical Collection

7. PRESERVATION
lets
amph
r for p
binde
o pe and
Envel
Acidic newspaper with rubber cement
Phase box for fragile books

8. Building the Collection
• Donations
• Purchase/Donation of
existing collections
• New purchase
• Archives Transfers
Free Lee Otis, Volume 1, Issue 1.
September 1969.

9. La Relacion, 1555
Cabeza de Vaca
•First published in 1542
•His report, transcribed
after his return to Spain
•First book about ‘Texas’
•Our oldest book

10. Natchez Trace Periodicals
•Hundreds of periodicals and
pamphlets documenting life in the
lower Mississippi River Valley
•Span through late 17th century to
20th century.
•Fragile and varying sizes

11. L’Heroine, 1819.
Author unknown.
•First known mention of Texas as
backdrop
•Novel about traveling Texas and
Louisiana
•Fictional account based on fact

12. Beadle Dime Novels
•Ephemera-like quality
•Fragile, no patron access to
original copies
•Like NTC collection, they follow
the social interests of the time

13. Translations of Laws, Orders, and
Contracts
•First book published in
Stephen F. Austin
Texas with more than
12 pages
•Discusses first Anglo-
American settlement in
Texas
•Briscoe Center copy
owned by James F.
Perry, husband of Emily
Austin Bryan Perry

14. The End
Questions?

24. Things to Bring
• Texas Supplement
• Ranger of Commerce
• L’Heroine
• La Relacion
• Trivia game
• SFA book