Beginning May 25, the UWM Libraries will merge Archives and Special Collections into a single department: Archives and Special Collections.  

The UWM Libraries are continuously evolving and always evaluating how to operate and fulfill the Libraries’s mission with the given resources. The merger of Archives and Special Collections will better align the Libraries’s workforce while maintaining high quality services for users. 

The Archives and Special Collections department will be located in the current home of the Archives – the third floor, west wing of the Golda Meir Library – and will serve as the main service point for the combined department. Special Collections, located on the fourth floor of the Golda Meir Library, will close aside from use for library-related class instruction.  

Current Head of Archives Derek Webb will serve as the head of Archives and Special Collections. Head of Special Collections Max Yela will retire in late May. The UWM Libraries intend to recruit for a new Special Collections librarian following Yela’s retirement.  

The Archives preserves the historical records of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, as well as donated records collections relating to the history of Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin. And as the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Milwaukee Area Research Center, the Archives also provides access to WHS’s collections from the convenience of its reading room. Its historical records are available for research by students, faculty, staff, and the general public unless closed for confidentiality reasons. 

Special Collections is the premier public collection of rare books and special printed materials in southeastern Wisconsin. It supports a broad range of research and teaching activities in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Areas of collecting interest for Special Collections include American nursing history, art and architecture, aviation history, Civil War regimental histories, contemporary fine-press printing and the book arts, gay and lesbian study, Irish literature, Jewish studies, labor and radical movements, local small-press publishing, Native American literature, manuscript collections, printing and publishing history, social justice, UWM authors and women’s studies. 

Archives and Special Collections will be open by appointment during the summer, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Beginning the fall semester, regular hours will be 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; walk-ins and appointments welcome.