We welcome everyone—students, faculty, independent researchers, and community members—to explore our collections.
Special Collections houses rare and unique materials that support research, teaching, and creative discovery. Our focus is on the histories and cultures of South Florida, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Our materials include:
- Rare books, manuscripts, pamphlets, and maps
- Personal papers, institutional archives, photographs, and ephemera
- Artifacts, audiovisual materials, and digital content
Materials span from the 15th to the 21st century, supporting interdisciplinary research and teaching.
Conduct Research
SEARCH FINDING AIDS
Please view the video on how to search archival collections.
To get started:
- Plan your visit using our helpful guidelines (location, hours, policies)
- Schedule an appointment to visit our reading room
- Search our FInding Aids ahead of time. Start you research with our Finding Aids, detailed guides that help you explore and locate relevant materials.
Search tips:
Use keywords such as names, topics, dates, locations, authors, or organizations
Looking for digital collections. Try the FIU Digital Collections
Looking for books or serials? Try the FIU Library Catalog -
Tip: Broader or related terms may help you discover more resources.
Need help? Our staff is available to support your research and instruction needs.
Our History
FIU Special Collections & University Archives was established under founding President Charles E. Perry as a vital part of the University Library. It began in the original airport tower location and now resides on the 4th floor of the Steven and Dorothea Green Library.
Today, we continue to serve the research interests of students, faculty, and the wider community with collections that span centuries and continents.
Feedback Welcome
FIU Special Collections welcomes your feedback on the description of its archival collections. Staff are currently implementing practices to address offensive or harmful language that may reflect biases and prejudices or terms that are outdated, offensive or insensitive. In addition, we encourage users to provide feedback to help us tackle this issue. Please email us, spcoll@fiu.edu to report errors or omissions or if you encounter harmful or offensive language.
