Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh

Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh

Country	United States
Type	archives and collections
Location	7500 Thomas Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15208 United States 412-648-3232
Branch of	The University of Pittsburgh Library System
Access and use
Access requirements	none; handicap accessible, requesting access prior to visiting is recommended; restrictions apply to what can be brought into the reading room
Population served	digital collections are accessible globally; archive contents are open to the public
Website	http://www.library.pitt.edu/archives-service-center

Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh (ASC) is one of the main repositories within the University Library System at the University of Pittsburgh and houses collections of various manuscripts, media, artifacts, maps, and other materials of historical, social and scientific content. It houses and functions as the repository for collections that document and describe the history of the Western Pennsylvania region, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, the city of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pittsburgh.^[1]

Introduction

A sample page from the sketchbook of Stephen Foster

Some of the history of Pittsburgh and the western Pennsylvania region has been recorded by primary sources on manuscripts, books, maps, personal diaries, audio recordings, photographs and other materials from the past. The ASC collects material related to the history of this region. The holdings in the collections span over a hundred years, primarily from the mid-19th century to the late 20th century. Some of the content is digitized and accessible online because it is in the public domain or the rights belong to the University. The Center hosts tours for other archivists and libraries to assist them in organizing material, digitizing items and developing finding aids.^[2][3] Many of the materials are stored in climate controlled rooms.

Major collections

Some of ASC's major collections include:

• Labor^[4][5]
• University Archives^[6]
• Audio-visual Materials^[7][8]
• Politics and Local Politics^[9]
• 20th Century Urban Renewable
• Women's History^[10]
• Business and Industry^[11]
• Social Action^[12][13]
• Ethnic Groups in Pittsburgh^[14]
• American Schoolbooks and Children’s Literature^[15]
• History of Books and Printing
• Civil Rights^[16]
• Philosophy of Science^{[17][18][19][20]}
• Theatre and the Performing Arts^[21]
• The Darlington Collection

Exhibitions

View of men in line at the pay car of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Company

The ASC often hosts exhibitions to display some of their prominent collections. Exhibitions have been presented that have covered a wide range of topics. One of these has been an exhibition highlighting the ASC's holdings related to map makers and cartography.^[22] The collection houses some of the oldest maps known that document cartography in the New World.^[23]

The ASC presented content from the Darlington Collection that consisted of original Audubon prints on November 16, 2013. These were not reproductions but some of the original sized and printed editions by John James Audubon.^[24]

How the collections are used

Coal mine maps stored in the University of Pittsburgh archives

The collection was used to settle the controversy over the copyrights related to the popular song "Happy Birthday To You".^[25] Often, when the estate of a notable person dies, the family donates historical documents, physical objects, photographs, and other materials that they wish to have preserved. One such donation consisted of the mining maps of Western Pennsylvania. Many of the coal mining companies are no longer in business and have closed or sold coal mines in the Western Pennsylvania region. These maps were determined to be of historical value and are now housed by the archives. Individuals and organizations that research drilling, 'fracking', the foundations of buildings, roadways and other structures often visit the ASC to examine the maps to establish the safety and accuracy of their projects. The ASC received canvas maps charting the existence, location and status of working coal mines and closed mines. These maps, some as long as 10 meters are stored in a climate controlled section of the archives.^[26] The Archive Service center has worked to add content from its collections to Wikipedia.^[27]

References

1. "Archives Service Center". pitt.edu.
2. Sostek, Anya (22 May 2014). "Manuscript Society gets a new look at some very old writings in Pittsburgh". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
3. Rare and Special Collections from the Membership of the Association Research Libraries, "Celebrating Research" Association of Association Research Libraries, 21 Dupont Circle NW, Washington, DC 20036
4. "Manuscript Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System for Labor". Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
5. "Archives Services Center University Library System University of Pittsburgh". CMU Computer Club. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
6. "Guide to collections documenting the History of the University of Pittsburgh". Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
7. "Audio and Visual Collections and Holdings". Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
8. Niederberger, Mary (15 June 2015). "Jazz musician Erroll Garner's materials donated to Pitt library". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
9. "Guides to Archives and Manuscript Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System". Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
10. "Guides to Archives and Manuscript Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System". Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
11. "Guides to Archives and Manuscript Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System". Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
12. "Guides to Archives and Manuscript Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System". Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
13. Hanzel, Igor (2010). Studies in the methodology of natural and social sciences. Frankfurt am Main New York: Peter Lang. ISBN 9783631608654.
14. "Guides to Archives and Manuscript Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System". Retrieved 25 November 2015.
15. "Home - Elizabeth Nesbitt Collection @ Pitt - LibGuides at University of Pittsburgh". libguides.com. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
16. "University of Pittsburgh Archives Service Center - The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories". The Library of Congress, The American Folklife Center. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
17. "Archives of Scientific Philosophy". University of Pittsburgh Archive Center and Services. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
18. Anapolitanos, Dionysios (1998). Philosophy and the many faces of science. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780847681754.
19. "Celebrating Research; Archives of Scientific Philosophy, Special Collections Department". The Association of Research Libraries. 28 September 2007. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
20. Coffa, Alberto (1991). The semantic tradition from Kant to Carnap : to the Vienna station. Cambridge New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521447072.
21. "Home - Curtis Theatre Collection". Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
22. Pitz, Marylynne (8 April 2015). "Exhibition preview: Map makers went on voyages of imagination to chart the globe". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
23. "Maps show what world looked like in 1500s". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
24. Pitz, Marylynne (16 November 2013). "Pitt exhibits Audubon prints". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
25. Raap, Tony (23 September 2015). "Pitt library plays role in 'Happy Birthday to You' lawsuit". Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
26. Cato, Jason (1 March 2014). "Project seeks to preserve state's original maps of mines". Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
27. Galloway, Ed. "Increasing the Discoverability of Digital Collections Using Wikipedia: The Pitt Experience". Pennsylvania Libraries: Research & Practice. Retrieved 2016-02-23.