Melissa A. Hubbard

This paper explores the history of the first two formal special collections departments, founded in the early 20th century at Harvard and Yale universities. Because these collections largely reflect the interests of elite white men, the only students who could attend Harvard and Yale in the early 20th century, they represent a legacy of cultural imperialism that has limited the production of research on anything outside of the hegemonic “Western canon.” However, there has been significant pushback against the limited and elitist nature of special collections since the 1960s, as more faculty have become interested in research and teaching that makes use of primary sources created by more diverse individuals and cultures. This paper explores changes that have occurred in the special collections libraries at Harvard and Yale as a result of this pushback, describing how the history and legacy of the way these collections were founded continues to cast a long shadow over both scholarly research and library practice.

Zoom link: https://buffalo.zoom.us/j/97465482078?pwd=RUdOdXFVMGdpY0JjSEJrZWNCZGNJdz09