Special Collections & Archives

For the Spring 2022 semester, in-person research services are available in Special Collections. If you are interested in accessing collection materials email us at asksca@csun.edu or submit an inquiry online.

Special Collections & Archives is the home of CSUN's rare book and periodical collections, as well as its archival and manuscript collections. Archival and manuscript collections can consist of many different kinds of materials, including correspondence, diaries, maps, university records, organizational records, photographs, and audio or video recordings.

In Special Collections & Archives users can perform research, engage in classes using primary sources, or view exhibitions. Our collections are made available to researchers in a supervised reading room. We welcome users, and ask for understanding concerning our special procedures, which are designed to ensure these collections are available in the future.

Take a Peek in the Stacks

collection highlights

Celebrity Photograph Collection

Posted on May 10, 2022

Photograph of actress, singer, dancer, and author, Janet Leigh from the Musicians, Singers, and Actors Photograph Collection

The Musicians, Singers, and Actors Photograph Collection is one of over 500 archival collections housed in Special Collections & Archives. In total, the collection has 83 images with most of them being printed photographs. A small portion of images are cut out of magazines....

Floriography: The Language of Flowers

Posted on May 3, 2022

Frontispiece, Drops from Flora's Cup, or the Poetry of Flowers, with a Floral Vocabulary by Miss Mary M. Griffin, PN6110.F6 G7 1852

A rose is generally accepted in the United States as a symbol of love, but roses aren't the only flowers imbued with cultural meaning. During the Victorian period in Britain and the United States there was a rise in popularity for the codification of culturally-created floral meanings in dictionary form. This "language of flowers" is known as floriography....