The Department of Special Collections in the Connelly Library houses a diverse range of materials, from 15th-century illuminated devotionals to subject collections treating contemporary social issues. Bodies of work include literature, music, films, art, archival material, and ephemera. Our collections explore a variety of themes in aural, narrative, and illustrative forms. Special Collections maintains a focus on acquiring, cataloging, and housing unique material that is tied to pedagogy and is freely available to researchers. We are a proud member of the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries.

The Department of Special Collections is located on the second floor of Connelly Library and is open to the La Salle University community and external researchers. We provide one-on-one research assistance to our visitors.  Please contact Dr. Heather Willever-Farr (willeverfarr@lasalle.edu) to set up a research appointment.

To obtain copies (digital or hardcopy) of Special Collections material for educational or research purposes, please contact the Special Collections Librarian (willeverfarr@lasalle.edu). Reproductions of certain material may be prohibited because of restrictions imposed by donors, physical condition, or copyright status. 

Those wishing to publish content contained in La Salle’s Special Collections should contact the Special Collections Librarian for further information and permission. Publishing of certain material may be prohibited because of restrictions imposed by donors or copyright status. 

On-site researchers may take photographs of Special Collections material for educational or research purposes with the permission of the Special Collections Librarian.

Special Collection's unique or rare historic material has been leveraged to facilitate active learning experiences in an array of La Salle undergraduate and graduate courses, from science to literature courses. Special Collections staff collaborate with faculty to provide orientations to the collections, as well as hands-on learning activities to engage students in critical thinking. Please contact Dr. Heather Willever-Farr  (willeverfarr@lasalle.edu) to learn more about Special Collections teaching and learning opportunities for your courses.