As part of CCSU's Elihu Burritt Library's mission to support research and learning, CCSU's Elihu Burritt Library includes Special Collections & Archives Some of these materials have been digitized and are available online. Archival "finding aids" which describe some of the collections are also available online for researchers.
Starting on June 30, 2020, CCSU's ContentDM platform will go offline. Many of the collections have already been migrated to a new platform (available in our Alma/Primo library system) Several collections are in the process of being migrated and should be live in our new Connecticut Digital Archives instance by Spring 2021. In the meantime, these materials can be requested by contacting Ewa Wolynska (860-832-2085), or Renata Vickrey (860-832-2086).
Established in 1986 with a grant from the National Historical Publications
and Records Commission CONNECTICUT POLISH AMERICAN ARCHIVE (CPAA) collects,
preserves and makes accessible documents related to the history of the Polish
American community, with a special emphasis on the history of the Polish
Americans in Connecticut and New England. The finding aids for this collection can be accessed online.
The Polish American Pamphlet collection is in the process of being digitized, to view what has been added so far, visit the digital collection.
There are several significant collections including the
following: John Loughery, Richard Cardarelli, George W. Henry, Christine Pattee,
The Connecticut Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights, and the Connecticut
Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
The GLBTQ Archives is comprised of two major collections: The first is the ABLE
Archives, a collection of books, videos, pamphlets, reports, and teaching aids
that focus on gender equity and women's issues. The second is a collection of
manuscripts, letters, photographs, books, buttons, T- shirts, videos, postcards,
flyers, and periodicals by and about Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgendered.
The collection is particularly strong in materials by and about Connecticut's GLBT communities, and religion and the Gay Community. The finding aids for some of the GLBTQ collections can be accessed online.
A finding aid for the William A. O'Neill Guberbatorial Records that are
located at the Connecticut State Library.
The William A. O'Neill Oral history project is produced under the auspices of the
CCSU Center for Public Policy and Social Research. The interviews focus on the administration of Connecticut Governor William A. O'Neill (1980-1990), whose humanitarian and environmental policies were notable for the era. During his tenure Governor O'Neill tackled a myriad of issues, from clean drinking water and assistance for the mentally challenged to appointing the first female Chief Justice of Connecticut's Supreme Court.
Many of these interviews are also available in our Oral history digital collection.
A finding aid for the John J. Woodcock Lemon Law papers is located in the Elihu Burritt Library Special Collections Department. The Lemon Law oral histories are significant for their impact on Connecticut governing initiatives that reverberated nationwide. The Lemon Law legislation was designed to protect consumers from fraud and abuse by auto manufacturers.
Many of these interviews are also available in our Oral history digital collection.
