Special Collections name changed to Special Collections Research Center
On March 19, 2008, the Special Collections and University Archives Department of the Gelman Library System at The George Washington University has been renamed the Special Collections Research Center. Simultaneously, Dr. Meredith Evans Raiford’s title changed from “Head of Special Collections” to “Director of the Special Collections Research Center”. In light of the expanded mission of the Special Collections program and the increased number of discrete programs within the department, it has become clear that the current department title no longer reflects the nature of its mission. The name change also aligns the Special Collections Research Center with the increasing emphasis on research at all levels within the university and signals a strong emphasis within Special Collections on supporting the academic research needs of a broader spectrum of academic programs in the university than in the past. Simultaneously, the name change brings the program in line with other similar special collections programs around the country, including at University of Chicago, Syracuse University, North Carolina State University, and the College of William and Mary, to name a few.
The primary units within the Special Collections Research Center include:
- American Labor History
- I. Edward Kiev Judaica Collection and Reading Room
- Exhibits Program
- Media and Journalism
- Rare Books and Maps
- University Archives
- Washingtoniana
In turn, the Washingtoniana Division has three primary active collecting areas:
- the African-American Research Center, documenting the African-American in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding metropolitan areas
- Literary Studies Collections, documenting the literary communities and publishing houses in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area
- the social, cultural, and political history of Washington, D.C.
The Special Collections Research Center web-pages are in the process of being updated and should reflect the name change by the end of the day.
If you have any questions, please contact Meredith Evans Raiford by email at raiford@gelman.gwu.edu or by phone at 202-994-1363 or Steven Mandeville-Gamble by email at stevenmg@gelman.gwu.edu or by phone at 202-994-1709.