The Western History Collections is a special research collection within the University of Oklahoma Libraries system. Its purpose is to enhance the University Libraries general collection on the history of the American West; to support the research and teaching programs of the University of Oklahoma; and to provide opportunities for research through the acquisition, preservation, and access of materials relating to the development of the Trans-Mississippi West and Native American cultures. To learn more, please view the History of the Collections.
Western History Collections Hours
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Monnet Hall
630 Parrington Oval, Rm. 300
Norman, OK 73019
United States
Collections Availability
In the summer of 2023, the Western History Collections at the University of Oklahoma Libraries announced that it would undergo a professional preservation treatment project for over 3,600 linear feet of archival records in its collection holdings.
We are pleased to announce the first phase of the preservation project was a success. All collection materials identified in this phase were fully remediated and have been returned to secure and environmentally stable storage locations at OU.
University Libraries personnel are now opening remediated collection assets for public accessibility and research again. Please contact Western History Collections at westernhistorycollections@ou.edu or (405) 325-2904 to request access to collection materials. Users who inquired about collection materials that were unavailable during the project will be contacted to inform them of collection availability.
Thank you for your patience while these resources were unavailable for use during the duration of this phase of the project. University Libraries anticipate subsequent phases of this project to preserve additional collection materials stored in Western History Collections. University Libraries will provide further updates as this work continues.
Appointments for Researchers
Research appointments, along with consultation with a librarian regarding collection materials to be used, are required before arrival. Starting in summer 2023, many collection materials will be unavailable as we undertake a large preservation project.
Appointments are available Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm.
Course Support and Instruction
Faculty: Contact us regarding instructional needs.
Western History Collections Research Fellows
Learn more about the Western History Collections Fellowships.
Summer 2022 Masterson Fellows: Randy Hopkins, Noah Ramage, Sophie Joscelyne
The Masterson Fellowship, endowed by Conrad and Ellen Masterson of Cee Vee, Texas, provides opportunities for visiting scholars to conduct research in the Western History Collections for one to three months. The fellowship is open to advanced graduate students, faculty, or independent scholars engaged in an original research project of significant scholarly merit that will benefit directly from the utilization of materials in the Western History Collections.
Summer 2022 Jack Haley Fellows: Martha Beliveau, Sawyer Young, Bryce Jones, Brendan Thomas
The Jack Haley Fellowship, endowed by Fred and Patricia Schonwald of Oklahoma City, provides fellowships for graduate students in the Department of History in the OU College of Arts and Sciences.
Summer 2022 Dale Society Fellow: Cecilia Slane
The Dale Society Fellowship, supported by the Association of Western History Collections Endowment, supports graduate students in OU graduate programs outside of the Department of History.
Collections
Explore digitized manuscripts and photographs from the Western History Collections for research. The digital collections include oral history interviews, Native American manuscripts, OU history, and much more.
The Photographic Archives is perhaps the best known and most heavily used unit of the Western History Collections. It contains approximately 2 million images representing a wide variety of photographic processes and subjects, and contains both glass plate negatives and original prints.
The Western History Collections Library, with more than eighty thousand volumes, comprises one of the leading special collections of published Western Americana in the world. The Library contains a general collection, known as the Frank Phillips Collection, plus smaller collections and private libraries that focus on specialized topics.
The Western History Collections holds over 2,000 collections of primary textual materials (manuscripts) on Oklahoma and the West. These collections offer unique opportunities for scholarly research on the history and culture of the Trans-Mississippi West and Native Americans. Among the types of original materials in the manuscript collections are diaries and journals, personal and official correspondence, literary manuscripts, business records, and scrapbooks. The subjects covered by these collections are diverse, and include records of the Five Tribes in Oklahoma, expansion and settlement of the American West, and businesses that contributed to the development of the Trans-Mississippi West region.
The University Archives holds many series of official records produced by the colleges and administrative departments of the University of Oklahoma from 1890 to the present. For example, the official papers of OU presidents are housed in the University Archives, beginning with those of the first president, David Ross Boyd. Also included are official publications of the university, such as yearbooks, commencement programs, student newspapers, football programs, telephone directories, and general catalogs.
The Western History Collections has maps and posters that complement the manuscript materials. Map collections include 5,200 maps of Oklahoma, Indian Territory, and surrounding areas, documenting the history and development of Oklahoma from its inception as Indian Territory in 1836 to its present status as the 46th state in the union. Poster collections include over 900 posters depicting advertisements for wild west shows, patent medicines, Native American art, and Oklahoma political candidates, as well as American propaganda posters for World Wars I and II.
The sound recordings collection has over 2,500 cassette tapes, vinyl records, compact discs, and reels containing both music and the spoken word in many languages. They include Native American songs and folklore, oral histories by Oklahoma pioneers and historical figures, classical and folk music, books on tape, radio programs, and recordings related to University of Oklahoma history.
Faculty: Using the Western History Collections in Your Classes
Faculty are encouraged to use the Western History Collections in their classes. Contact Western History Collections to schedule virtual orientation sessions or specialized instruction on class topics for undergraduate and graduate students.
Research Help
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Oklahoma History
Oklahoma History
Resources on Oklahoma history at OU Libraries.
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OU History
OU History
resources for University history
Technology
Wi-Fi Access
Wi-Fi access is available in all rooms of the library. Instructors and students can access the internet by wirelessly connecting to the University's wi-fi network.