University of Pittsburgh Library System

Two hundred and fifty years of American history is neither simple nor settled. Our Archives & Special Collections preserve the voices, images, and stories that make up that history in its full complexity — the celebrated and the contested, the familiar and the forgotten.

250 years ago, the first copies of the Declaration of Independence to be distributed to the public were printed on July 4, 1776, as broadsides. Join us on July 7, 2026 from 4-5:30 p.m. at Archives & Special Collections Reading Room, Hillman Third Floor to explore themes of freedom and democracy in print and then get hands-on as you typeset and print your own broadside in the … more

Celebrate 100 years of Pitt’s Nationality Rooms & Intercultural Exchange Program (NRIEP) at the grand opening of two new exhibits! Join us Thursday, February 26, 2026, from 5–7 PM at Hillman Library, 3rd floor, The Hyland Gallery Archives & Special Collections Exhibits....more

Join lead curator Dr. Lina Insana, Professor in the Department of French and Italian, on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 from Noon-12:45 p.m. for a gallery talk on the new exhibit, Read the Room! Uncovering the Italian Room's Transnational Traces.  This exhibit documents the transnational networks and economic class dynamics at play during the Room's development in the 1930s and 1940s.… more

The ULS is a partner in the creation of a comprehensive digital critical edition of the complete works of Rudolf Carnap (1891-1970), a pioneer of Analytic Philosophy and a key figure in the Vienna Circle, profoundly shaped 20th-century thought. This 25-year €400,000-per year funded international collaboration affirms Pitt’s role as a global leader in philosophical scholarship...more

The ULS is pleased to announce the acquisition of the archive of Bill Cole, a jazz musician, ethnomusicologist, educator, author, and composer known for his use of non-western instruments....more

Join us on Friday, September 12, 2025 from 2:30-3:30pm in the Archives & Special Collections Gallery to hear directly from the curator about the new exhibit Dig In! Exploring the Culinary World Through Rare Books and Archives. Then, visit the Text & conText Lab to make your own recipe book!...more

Did you know that the University of Pittsburgh Library System (ULS) and the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) offer a paid award for undergraduates to support original research utilizing ULS's distinctive collections? Join us on Monday, September 22, 2025 or Tuesday, September 23, 2025 from Noon - 1 p.m. in the Archives & Special Collections Instruction Room, Hillman Library, 3rd Floor to find out how you can be a part of this!… more

Join us on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 from noon - 1 p.m. for a guided tour of the newly updated ULS Digital Collections sites! During this session, you’ll learn how to navigate and utilize the University of Pittsburgh Library System’s (ULS) Archives & Special Collections Digital Collections for your curriculum, class project, or your own personal interest!...more  

Join us on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 from 4 - 5 p.m. at 340 Hillman Library, Archives & Special Collections Instruction Room to hear Brenda Tate talk about her new inspirational memoir, Journal of a Black Woman in Blue. Tate will share a deeply personal message of her struggle with abuse, addiction, and racism towards her recovery and success while serving as a police officer for 40 years… more