What's New In Special Collections

African American Collaborative Project - Town Hall Meeting

The African American Collaborative Project is holding the third in a series of three Town Hall Meetings on Saturday, 11 May 2013. This meeting will be held at the West Las Vegas Library (951 W. Lake Mead) from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM. The goal of this project is to collect oral interviews, photographs, and manuscript materials depicting the overarching, pivotal experiences of blacks in Las Vegas.

Please join us for a few hours to:

-tell stories
-share photos from your personal collection
-test your knowledge of historical facts
-enjoy light…Read More

NATIONAL PRESERVATION WEEK

NATIONAL PRESERVATION WEEK

April 21 -27, 2013

This year, University Libraries will participating in National Preservation Week.

Libraries all over the country will present events, activities, and resources  that highlight what we can do, individually and together, to preserve our personal and shared collections.

In honor of Preservation Week, University Libraries will be hosting a Preservation Open House, on the 3rd Floor of the Lied Library.  April 27th, 2013; Saturday (2:00 -5:00 pm).

Our focus this year will be RARE BOOK COLLECTING, and our afternoon event will feature a Panel Discussion.  Experts will be sharing stories and experiences about working with rare books.  This local event is FREE and open to the public.

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Oral History Research Center News

UNLV Libraries and the History Department in the College of Liberal Arts are hosting the annual conference of The Southwest Oral History Association (SOHA) from Thursday, April 4 through Saturday evening April 6, 2013. Caryll Dziedziak, history professor, is conference chair and assumes the organization’s presidency this year. Under her leadership, SOHA is seeking to become a research entity on our campus sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and UNLV Libraries.  For more information please contact Claytee White.

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Oral History Research Center News

The Oral History Research Center has reached its Tenth Year of collecting the history of Southern Nevada! The party will be held on Sunday afternoon, May 5, 2013 at 3:00 to celebrate not only the art of collecting oral history but of training community groups to collect their history, conducting workshops throughout campus, working with researchers from the world community with a focused concentration on our students, and forming group projects to ensure that Las Vegas history is captured and preserved for future generations.  The center also engages in writing and presenting the history of our region at conferences, panel discussions, presentations and as written documentation in books and journals. Over the next ten years, the center intends to engage our students at a new and exciting level, continue to present UNLV in individual and group settings throughout the city, and teach the value of the interviewing process as a critical primary source that allows the inclusion of all…Read More

Oral History Research Center News

The African American Collaborative Project is collecting oral interviews, photographs, and manuscript materials depicting the overarching, pivotal experiences of blacks in Las Vegas.

The project’s span is from 3 – 5 years with partners that include

  • UNLV Libraries
  • Vegas PBS
  • Las Vegas Clark County Public Libraries
  • Las Vegas National Bar Association
  • Henderson Libraries
  • Weiner-Rogers Law Library
  • Nevada State Museum
  • Las Vegas National Bar Association
  • Clark County Museum

A group of community advisors that assisted in organizing a series of panels filmed by Vegas PBS and an ongoing Town Hall Meetings at the West Las Vegas library is comprised of Jarmilla McMillan-Arnold, Hannah Brown, Brenda Williams, Sonya Horsford, EdD, Clare Sampson, Courtney Mooney, and Todd Robinson, PhD. 

For more information please contact the Director of the Oral History Research Center…Read More

Reception to Welcome Libraries' New Director of Special Collections

The campus community is invited to join UNLV Libraries for a reception welcoming Michelle Light as the new director of Special Collections.  The reception will be held in the Special Collections Reading Room on the third floor of Lied Library from 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, March 6.

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Münchener Kalender

A clamshell box was created for a collection of Münchener Kalender . The Preservation Lab used a slightly different technique of printing the title on the lining, and framing it within the outer case. This creates a striking effect. We also tried to match the title fonts with the original of the collection. The outside of the clamshell is wrapped in Canapetta Bookcloth, and the interior is lined with Nideggen paper. This collection can be found in Special Collections. Call # Oversize CR 1820 M86x.

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Las Vegas Showgirls Oral Histories

Submitted by Claytee White, Director of the Oral History Research Center

The Oral History Project of Las Vegas Showgirls began with the work of Joyce Marshall Moore in the mid to late 1990s. As part of the project, Women in Gaming and Entertainment directed by Joanne Goodwin, Joyce interviewed a series of ex-showgirls. The Oral History Research Center added several interviews to Joyce’s initial list.

We are presenting a sample of the project that includes the Kim Sister’s Sook-Ja Kim interviewed by our own Myoung-Ja Lee Kwon; Betty Bunch interviewed by Joyce Moore; Carol Baker interviewed by Nancy Davis; and Virginia James and Anna Bailey interviewed by Claytee D. White.

Enjoy the beauty and artistry of these captivating women.


Anna Bailey

Anna Bailey arrived in Las Vegas in 1955 to perform as a dancer for the opening of the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino. Six months later the Rouge…Read More

Asian-Pacific Entertainers in Las Vegas Exhibit

In celebration of Asian-Pacific Heritage Month, Special Collections has created an exhibit featuring historical photographs and documents on Asian-Pacific entertainers in Las Vegas over the years. Materials on display on the 3rd Floor of Lied Library include items such as this orignal program from the China Doll Revue which appeared at the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino in 1959. Please stop by and take a look!

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Fishnets and Feathers: Forty Nine Years of the Folies Bergere in Las Vegas

A colorful exhibit currently on display on the 3rd floor of Lied Library showcases material on the Folies Bergere held in UNLV Special Collections. The classic production show, which began its run at the Tropicana Hotel in December 1959, is one of the last remaining shows to feature the iconic Las Vegas showgirl in all her glory, and the longest running show in Vegas history. It is scheduled to close this month on March 28.  Stop by for a walk down memory lane that features programs and photographs from Special Collections documenting this significant part of Las Vegas entertainment history. 

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