Our collections are made up of materials which are fully catalogued and accessible through the on-line catalogue; and materials which are catalogued with records available through Usearch connection. 

The development of our special collections has been greatly aided by the generosity of many individuals and organizations.

Adam Shortt Library of Canadiana

Approximately 50,000 volumes. This collection concentrates on Canadian history, especially that of Western Canada. Old and rare materials, including 18th and 19th century editions of explorers' and missionaries' accounts, make up part of the collection. Current publications of primary sources and significant monographs and collections are added on a monthly basis. Access: material is fully catalogued and the records are accessible on the on-line catalogue.

University Authors Collection

Almost 2,200 volumes. The Library actively collects material authored, edited or translated by the University of Saskatchewan staff since 1910. This collection is the repository for monographic publishing. For inclusion in the University Authors Collection the work must be: a monographic work, a chapter in a monographic work, a translation of a monographic work, a subsequent edition (not a reprint) of a monographic work, or edited conference proceedings; authored, edited, translated or compiled by a U of S faculty or staff member; published during the period of the individual’s U of S employment or retirement. U of S lecture series' publications, such as those of the Sorokin and Whelen lectures, are also included in this collection. The work can be in any format. 

Access: material is fully catalogued and the records are accessible on the on-line catalogue.

University of Saskatchewan Theses

8,300+ volumes; includes all masters' and doctoral theses accepted by U of S since 1912. Theses are generally available within 6 months of the author's graduation date. Access: material is catalogued and the records are accessible on the on-line catalogue.  Note: To limit your search only to theses, use the Advanced Search function. Limit the location to "Special Collections" and use "theses" as a keyword in your search.

Theses must be used in the Special Collectons reading area. In addition, theses may be accessed through the Electronic Theses Database depending on the time of thesis' submission or its inclusion in the digitization program currently underway. 

Rare Books

Roughly 3,860 items covering a wide variety of subjects. Publication dates range from 1491 to the 21st century. The collection includes first editions, limited editions, works of aesthetic importance, and books subject to loss or mutilation if part of the general collection. Access: material is fully catalogued and the records are accessible on the on-line catalogue.

• To see the monthly Rare Books Online Showcase featuring some information and pictures of diverse books from this collection click here.

 

 

Irving Layton Collection

This collection of materials from Irving Layton includes published monographs, anthologies, tape recordings; manuscript papers, lecture notes and other published material.  Also included is some correspondence, 1954 - 1961 and material that others have published about Layton. Access: material is fully catalogued and the records are accessible on the on-line catalogue. Additionally, some of the collection has been digitized and is available for viewing online here.

Neil Richards Collection of Sexual and Gender Diversity

The Richards Collection, containing rare and/or fragile titles and collections dealing with sexual and gender diversity, complements the Library's extensive circulating collections on these subjects.  Among the collection's particular strengths are holdings of LGBT periodicals, books by Canadian authors and publishers, queer mystery and detective fiction, and titles of both nonfiction and fiction (including pulp novels) which predate the Stonewall Riots of 1969 and the beginning of the Gay Liberation Movement. Access: material is fully catalogued and the records are accessible on the on-line catalogue.

Additionally, you may search for titles in three of the collection's subseries through the following links:
Canadian Gay and Lesbian Collection
Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Pulp Literature
Queer Mystery and Detective Fiction

Click here for more information on this and other campus collections of LGBTQ Interest

Canadiana Pamphlets Collection [including Postcard Collection]

10,000 items; includes written and pictorial material on Canadian political parties, labour, women, native people, Saskatchewan agriculture. Access: material is catalogued and records are available through U-Search.
The Pamphlets Collection houses well over 2,000 postcards that represent Saskatchewan and Western Canada in the early twentieth century. Some of these have been digitized (see Special Collections' Digital Projects) and records of all of them are available through USearch.

Arthur S. Morton Manuscripts Collection

About 33 feet of material; consists of original manuscripts, copies and photographs on the history of western Canada, especially Saskatchewan. Incudes material on fur trade and exploration, white settlement and interaction with native people and the Riel Rebellions. Access: typed finding aid available in department; the records are available through USearch. 

 

 

 

The Becker Collection

A significant collection of books, serials, and articles relating to German resettlement in Russia, Canada and more specifically in Saskatchewan. Items were acquired from Dr. A. Becker. Primarily genealogical source materials, with an emphasis on Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist and Mennonite Colonies. The collection has been catalogued and can be found here. A finding aid is also available.

The Abram Hoffer Orthomolecular Collection

The Abram Hoffer Orthomolecular Collection was donated by Abram Hoffer (1917-2009) shortly before his death. Dr. Abram Hoffer, a well-known and somewhat controversial psychiatrist, was born and raised in Saskatchewan. Over the course of his long career, Dr. Hoffer collected a large library of materials relating to his interest in mental health, nutrition, and orthomolecular medicine, which he offered to the University Library at the University of Saskatchewan prior to his death.  The donation of his personal collection, now referred to as the Abram Hoffer Orthomolecular Collection, consists of 1,520 books, of which he authored or co-authored 65 (including translated works and various editions). In addition to the well-known material on the hallucinogens, Dr. Hoffer collected books on a variety of topics including, but not limited to, schizophrenia, nutrition, orthomolecular therapy, psychiatry, cancer, alcoholism, mental illness/disorders, medicine, vitamin therapy, depression, diet therapy, and health.

To browse titles in the library catalogue click here.
To view images of the exhibition launch click here.

The Sorokin Collection

Approximately 2 metres of manuscripts, notebooks, clippings, etc; 4.4 metres of correspondence; and 27 metres of books from the private library of Dr. Pitirim A. Sorokin.
Dr. Sorokin was born near Syktyvkar, taught in St. Petersburg, but soon after the 1917 Russian Revolution was forced to emigrate to the United States due to his political views. He became an internationally renowned scholar in the developing field of sociology, teaching for the rest of his life at Harvard University. Some of the Sorokin Collection has been catalogued and can be found in our library catalogue or USearch. A detailed finding aid is also available. A website dedicated to making Sorokin material available online is located here.

 

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Collection

At over 800 titles consisting of more than a thousand items, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt collection is not only one of the most complete collections about the former US president, but a rich and curious resource that  demonstrates a strong connection between the policies of Saskatchewan’s CCF party and the policies outlined by FDR’s administration.
On the surface, one might have difficulty drawing any direct correlation between The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Collection and the province of Saskatchewan, but in fact, the ideas put forth by the US president’s  “New Deal” legislation had a great influence on the direction that Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas and his CCF government would eventually steer the province. The collection, a generous gift of Henry & Cheryl Kloppenburg, is actually of outstanding significance and cultural importance for its close association with Canadian history, and in particular, to Saskatchewan political history. 
Many of TC Douglas’s policies found their origins and closely resembled policies of the New Deal, not by accident, but by Douglas’s keen interest on the reforms sweeping the United States and his recruitment of former advisors and members of FDR’s administration. For this reason, this comprehensive collection has been certified by the Canadian Cultural Property Review Board.

Click here to browse the collection.

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Comments to: Special Collections spec.coll@usask.ca