JKM Library

Special Collections

The Pennsylvania Collection The Pennsylvania Collection is made up primarily of materials relating to the Pittsburgh area. A few highlights of the collection are: Early histories of Western Pennsylvania Institutional and corporate histories for Western Pennsylvania Biographies of notable Pittsburgh families and individuals such as the Mellons and Andrew Carnegie
Rare Books The Rare Book collection contains rare and very special materials in the Library's collections. These items are separated from the general collection because of their age, rarity, or special characteristics such as signed copies and limited special editions. These include: Early histories of Pennsylvania Several 18th century works Signed editions of some titles and many more treasures
The Snowdon Mesoamerican Collection The Snowdon Mesoamerican collection was donated by the Snowdon family and contains a wide range of materials on Mesoamerica. It contains an excellent selection of materials on South and Central America, and in particular the history, archaeology, and anthropology of those areas.
The Women's Education Historical Collection The Women's Education Historical Collection is a selection of materials relating to women's education and the history surrounding women's education. Some materials about Chatham are included, as are biographies of women who played important roles in education and educational reform.
The Wray Collection The Wray collection is a large donation from Dr. Wendell Wray, part of which is housed in Special Collections - the signed copies and rare books. The collection focuses on African-American issues, history, literature, oral history, travel, and art, but covers a very broad range of subjects.

Special Collections Policies

Circulation of Materials
Materials in the Special Collections are available for use ONLY within the Library. They DO NOT circulate. Some copies of the items in the Pennsylvania Collection are also available in the general circulating collection on the 2nd and 3rd floors.

Use of Materials
Some materials may be photocopied or scanned while other materials are too fragile or vulnerable to damage to allow these copying methods.

Access to Materials
To use materials from Special Collections, please contact the Reference Desk (412-365-1670) or send e-mail to Jamie Peretich to make an appointment or to learn more about the collection.