Please be advised that the Special Collections Reading and Instruction Room will closed for renovations at some point this summer. Contact us at inspc@lehigh.edu for more information.
Special Collections was established to collect, preserve, and provide access to historical collections that encompass rare books, manuscripts, and the Lehigh University archives. Housed in the historic Linderman Library, opened in 1878, Special Collections holds materials that not only document its extensive 1929 addition but also its award-winning 2006 restoration.
Special Collections holds a rare book collection of over 40,000 volumes, with first editions of English and American literature from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Other strengths are in travel and exploration, natural history and ornithology, and works of historical significance in science and technology. Holdings in the history of technology are actively being expanded; they focus on large scale construction, such as works on bridge building and design, and iron and steel construction. Another focus is mining and metallurgy.
Special Collections also holds manuscripts and personal papers. Frequently consulted collections include the papers of Les Whitten, successful novelist and Watergate-era investigative reporter; the Congressional papers of Francis E. Walter; and the papers of the Lehigh presidents. In 2005, Lehigh acquired the Philip I. and Muriel M. Berman Archives. A collection of autograph letters has been digitized for research and curricular use in the I Remain project.
The Lehigh University Archives contains documents, photographs, and publications of the University, papers of faculty members, and Lehigh memorabilia. Special Collections is also the repository for Lehigh theses and dissertations and over 20,000 photographic images.
Research Services
- Submit a question
- Material Request Form
- Schedule a Research Appointment
- Schedule Class Visits
- Finding Aids
Lehigh History
- The Epitome Yearbook
- The Brown and White Student Newspaper
- Course Catalogs (1866-2022)
- Alumni Bulletins (1913-2021)
- Lehigh Student Publications (Burr, Bachelor, Review etc.)
- LehighWeek Newspaper (1987-2000)
- At Lehigh Alumni Newsletter (1998-2001)
- Founder's Day Programs
- Commencements Programs and Addresses
- Athletics Materials (Football programs, scrapbooks, etc.)
- Web Archive
Digital Collections
- Lehigh Photograph Collection
- Postcard Collection
- Stereograph Collection
- I Remain: A Digital Archive of Letters, Manuscripts, and Ephemera
- Bibliotheca Philadelphiensis (BiblioPhilly): Medieval Manuscript Digitization Project
- Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company Records
- Digital Bridges: Bridges of the Nineteenth Century
- The Problem of the Planets: Astronomy Books Online
- Geology of Lehigh and Northampton Counties, Pennsylvania: Historical Works
- Digital Diaries from Philadelphia Area Institutions
- Bridge & Building Forensics: Civil Engineering Archives
- Hidden Collections
- Illuminated Manuscripts