Special Collections & Archives

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

Area E Alternative School

Posted on August 16, 2022

n 1970, the notion of alternative or open schools under the public school system was proposed at the White House Conference on Children, and in 1972 Congress appropriated millions of dollars for cooperative education research. This concept of alternative schools was picked up by the education- and innovation-minded in California under the Los Angeles Unified School District’s wing and arose as a resolution to many educational problems in the state. This proposal coincided with....

Codex Hall: A Post-Conquest Aztec Artifact

Posted on July 20, 2022

A wide array of materials—papyrus, clay, and bronze, among others—have been used to preserve information. The codex, a Eurasian method of storing data dating back to at least the first century CE, was made of animal skins or plant matter; the sheets were bound along one edge, much like a modern book. Indigenous cultures of Mexico also had methods....