Our Collections
Great collections fuel groundbreaking research
Special Collections
Texas A&M University Archives
Established in 1950, the University Archives preserves and provides access to documents and artifacts that illuminate the history of Texas A&M. The archival collection includes student publications, photographs, correspondence files of administrative offices, football programs and films and much more.
Language & Literature Collection
Cushing Library has strong holdings in a wide range of periods, genres, and collections of individual authors. Highlights include The Eduardo Urbina Cervantes Project Collection, Early Modern English poetry, Walt Whitman, the French Enlightenment, 20th Century English Fiction, and the Literature of Warfare.)
Texas & Borderlands
These collections contain books, manuscripts, and artifacts from all periods of Texas history. The Colonial Mexican holdings include examples of the earliest printed books in the New World. Other strengths include cattle and ranching, Western exploration, and the Battle of San Jacinto.
Science Fiction & Fantasy Research Collection
One of the largest collections of its kind, the SFFRC houses the papers and manuscripts of significant genre authors and is the depository for the books and papers of George R. R. Martin. Among the monographs held in the collection are classic, foundational works, as well as recent titles.
Book & Printing History
With its emphasis on the development of media technologies which have fueled the intellectual, scientific, and political revolutions, these books and artifacts offer a valuable glimpse into the material products upon which this progress moved. Collections focusing upon book illustration, decorated papers, and 20th Century fine press production are other highlights. A working handpress studio containing period accurate printing equipment allows hands-on exploration in bookmaking technologies.
Gender & Ethnic Studies
These collections contain family papers, writings, correspondence, oral histories, extensive photographic collections, and archives from literary figures such as Lionel Garcia, Ernest Gaines, and Jayne Cortez, and from private collectors, including large LGBTQ+ collections. The collections represent various ethnic groups and their cultural experiences.
History of Ideas
The emphasis upon intellectual history in special collections includes materials related to Natural History (flora and fauna) Theology, Philosophy (with particular attention to the French Enlightenment), and Linguistics.
Exploration & Expansion
Among these collections are strong cartographic holdings reflecting exploration throughout the Americas, Central Africa, and elsewhere; maritime and nautical archeology; and a major military history collection focusing on the armed forces from the Spanish-American war through the Gulf War.
Historical Veterinary Research Collection
The Historical Veterinary Research Collection at the Medical Sciences Library dates back to the establishment of the library as a branch library in the School of Veterinary Medicine (as it was known then) in 1949 in a corner room of the Veterinary Medicine Hospital (now the Civil Engineering Building). Some of the late 19th and early 20th century books currently in the collection were owned by the early veterinary faculty. The library owns a number of veterinary and medical realia, or artifacts, the oldest of which is a buttress (used for trimming hooves) from the 17th century. One of the unique items is a life-like painted and articulated papier-mâché model of a horse's hoof and lower leg manufactured by the French firm Auzoux in 1857.
General Collections
The Libraries’ vision is to provide access to cutting edge materials supporting a wide range of academic and professional fields represented in the disciplines across Texas A&M. Because we believe that accessibility is the hallmark of successful collections, we are continuously creating programs to digitize our collections making them discoverable to researchers around the world.
Funding needs
- Digitization of our Collections/Archives including equipment and personnel
- Special Collections Endowment*
- General Collections Endowment*
* endowments start at $25,000+