Special Collections
The LSSU Library’s special collections consist of seven separate collections: the Michigan, Marine, Special, Ochsner, and Hart Collections; Historical Textbooks; and LSSU Archives.
LSSU Library’s Special Collections – Michigan Room
The largest is the Michigan Collection containing historical materials on Michigan, from Indian occupation to the present, with emphasis placed on the tri-county area of the Eastern Upper Peninsula. Many of the books date from the middle to late 1800’s through the early to middle 1900’s. The collection includes a number of materials written and published by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Also included are pictures, photographs, a small collection of artifacts, and a vertical file which contains such items as newspaper clippings and pamphlets.
The Marine Collection consists of printed materials on the history of water transportation on the Great Lakes and material on individual vessels, including pictures, photographs, maps and a vertical file.
The Special Collection consists of first editions of distinguished authors; fine bindings as examples of the history of the book; limited editions of important titles; autographed copies of books by well-known authors and Lake Superior State University faculty; and fragile material that cannot be stored on open shelves.
Polychrome olla/jar – Zia Pueblo, New Mexico, 1952
The Ochsner Collection was donated to LSSU in 1995 by Mr. Eugene E. Ochsner and includes books on archeology and cultural history, as well as an extensive collection of Native American, European and African artifacts. The Native American artifacts come from the Eastern Woodland Native Americans, and the Meso-American, Mayan, and Aztec civilizations. Some of the European and African artifacts are from 20,000 to 200,000 years old.
The Hart Room, named after Senator Philip A. Hart
The Hart Collection is dedicated to the memory of Philip A. Hart, a highly respected senator active in the Senate during the 1960’s and 1970’s. The collection consists of books by and about Senator Hart, as well as books covering issues in which he had an interest, such as civil rights, anti-trust enforcement and environmental protection.
The Historical Text Collection consists of textbooks published during the latter half of the 1800’s and early 1900’s.
The LSSU Archives includes such materials as agendas and minutes of the Board of Trustees, yearbooks, back issues of the school newspaper “The Compass” and the publication “The Woodsrunner.” Also included are other materials published on campus by various departments, correspondence, photographs, slides, and a vertical file.
Our David W. Hughes Collection, was developed from a gift of David W. Hughes, MD, to the Kenneth J. Shouldice Library of Lake Superior State University. The gift consists of three parts, the first of which includes guidebooks, tourist brochures, personal itineraries, and other miscellaneous items from Dr. Hughes’ trip to Europe in 1958. The scrapbook collection consists of photographs and other documents, mainly from his years as a student at Bucknell University. The postcard collection includes addressed and blank picture postcards from around the world.
