California State University, Stanislaus, is pleased to announce its Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA)!

Following a two-year renovation and transformation of the third floor of the University’s Vasché Library, this event will showcase and celebrate services and resources dedicated to access, preservation, digitization, education, and exhibition of the University’s rare historical collections and archives. These one-of-a-kind treasures consist of a rich repository of the historical memory of the University, as well as manuscript collections, historic book and periodical collections, and antique regional and statewide California maps.  

Speakers:  Esteemed speakers will include California State University Stanislaus President Ellen Junn, Dean of Library Services Ron Rodriguez, Professor of Geography Jennifer Helzer, President of the Stanislaus Audubon Society Salvatore Salerno, and Librarians Margarita Zamora Saunders and Mary Weppler-Van Diver.  

Exhibition:  Several collections will be on display during the event, including 19^th-century ornithological prints of the birds of the Pacific Slope, 19^th-century volumes of John Muir’s “Picturesque California,” and several documents and artifacts from the University’s Archives.  Also on display will be two rare books that once belonged to former U.S. Presidents, including a book once owned by Abraham Lincoln.  

Explore:  During the event you can explore the special collections reading room, digitization lab, and restoration room, all of which were added during the Library’s 2019-2021 renovation.  Join us for an afternoon of historical treasures and an opportunity to learn about the University’s rich history as well as the history of the region and beyond!