The collections offer a variety of historical resources ranging from fifteenth-century illuminated manuscripts to Civil War letters, Civil Rights documents and current Mississippiana. The University of Southern Mississippi’s Special Collections are located in the William David McCain building, erected in 1976. Nearly 24,000 square feet are dedicated to Special Collections, comprised of four units: University Archives; Rare Books and Mississippiana; Historical Manuscripts; and the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection.

Today the University Archives oversees the campus-wide records management program as well as maintaining archival records of USM dating from its founding. The University Archives also maintains oral histories conducted by USM’s Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage.

Rare book and Mississippiana holdings are comprised of nearly 38,000 titles covering the history and culture of Mississippi, as well as books relating to the Civil War, southern history, and literature.

Historical Manuscripts consists of 7,500 cubic feet comprising approximately 800 archival collections that focus upon the Civil War, political papers, Mississippi industries, local organizations, military history and civil rights among other topics.

The de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection was founded in 1966 through the efforts of USM School of Library Science faculty professor, Lena de Grummond. The Collection, which focuses on American and British children’s literature, now houses manuscripts and works from more than 1,300 authors and illustrators, as well as 180,000+ published books dating from 1530 to the present. The de Grummond Collection also administers the Ezra Jack Keats award in conjunction with the Keats Foundation and co-sponsors the annual national Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival with USM’s School of Library and Information Science. For highlights of Special Collections, see our Item of the Month.

Cook Library

The Joseph Anderson Cook Library contains the principle holdings of books, journals, microforms, music, media, and other materials, which support the research and instructional programs of the University. Cook Library has five floors of book stacks, study areas, computers, and access is provided to over five million books and microforms and over 150,000 journals. Library services, such as circulation, interlibrary loan, and research assistance, are available on the first floor, with the collections housed on all five floors.


You can learn more about our history here.


Gulf Coast Library
The Gulf Coast Library, located on the Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach, has print and non-print materials that support the research and curriculum needs of the students, faculty, and staff. All of the University Libraries’ electronic holdings are accessible to the students on the Gulf Coast, and materials are available for campus-to-campus loan. The Gulf Coast Library includes over 80,000 books, DVDs and CDs. Special collection include the Gulf Park College for Women Archives and the Hurricanes Collection. Study space and access to computers is provided throughout all three floors of the facility.

Gunter Library
The Gunter Library, located in the Richard L. Caylor Building, at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) in Ocean Springs provides technical information for the research staff, resident faculty, and students. A collection of 1,663 print journals and over 30,000 books, reprints, reports, and gray literature, environmental impact statements; fishery management plans; and other materials supporting the research and teaching done by the Department of Coast Sciences and GCRL scientific staff are available to support research, education, and services in the coastal sciences.