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Our Collections
North Carolina Collection
We hold modern and historical publications related to North Carolina – especially eastern North Carolina. This collection includes state and colonial government documents, county records, maps, rare books, current magazines and periodicals, and historical newspapers.
University History and Records
We are the final, central repository for East Carolina University records of permanent historical value, including documents created by ECU’s administration, offices, colleges, departments, student groups and faculty members as well as items from alumni about their time as students.
We also administer the university’s records management program, which works with university employees to assist in managing their current, active records in accordance with federal, state, and campus regulations. We administer comprehensive trainings for departments and individuals.
Manuscripts
We collect and preserve unpublished material such as letters, diaries, family photos, oral histories, genealogies, and business records. Our collections are strong in the history of North Carolina and the tobacco industry, American naval, maritime, and missionary history, and 20th-century American literature.
Rare Books
Our rare book collection contains published works from the 1500s to the present. It features travel accounts, maps, North Carolina imprints, and artists’ books. Subjects covered include the Civil War, naval and maritime history, print history, and science fiction and fantasy.
Digital Collections
Some Special Collections material has been scanned and is available online in the library’s Digital Collections. Digital Collections also include material from other ECU libraries and museums, as well as digital exhibits on University and local history.