Discovering Our Collections
The Canaday Center holds nearly 10,000 linear feet of collections of primary sources that provide first-hand documentation and evidence of the decisions, events, and actions that contributed to the development of the University of Toledo, as well as the people, businesses and organizations important to the history of Toledo and Northwest Ohio. Our collections are categorized in the following way:
Manuscripts Collections refer to original, handwritten documents of personal or family papers but may include collections of mixed media in which unpublished materials make up the majority.
Manuscripts Collections at the Canaday Center include not only personal or family papers, but the records of businesses, agencies, and organizations and thus includes published materials as well, such as annual reports and financial records.
University Archives preserve materials relating to the University of Toledo that have permanent or historical value. This includes both published and unpublished records that document the administrative and fiscal activities of the institution, as well as the university’s cultural history.
Rare Books Collections includes, but is not limited to, books that are determined to have historical value because relatively few copies exist; they are a private press or limited-edition publication; the copy is autographed or annotated; or they contain original photographs or fine plates.
To assist you in identifying collections of interest, the Canaday Center publishes guides – called finding aids or inventories – for both University Archives and Manuscripts Collections. University Archives collections are organized by the college, department, office, or program that created the records. Manuscripts Collections are grouped according to the main subject of the collection. Each finding aid or inventory provides a folder listing of the contents of a collection to assist patrons in identifying boxes of materials relevant to their research topic. A video tutorial is available to researchers for assistance on how to use a finding aid.
The Canaday Center uses ArchivesSpace to manage and provide access to our archival materials. This application allows patrons to search across all of our holdings and filter results according to their research needs. Collections are added to ArchivesSpace regularly; however, if you cannot find relevant materials within the application, please contact staff for assistance.
A selection of items from some of our collections are available to view and download on the University of Toledo Digital Repository.
Finally, rare books are searchable within the University of Toledo Libraries catalog.
See our Policies and Guidelines LibGuide for more information on the subjects and types of materials that we select for inclusion in our holdings. Our LibGuide also provides guidance on citing our collections under the Reading Room Policies tab.
Search Our Collections
Please search our collections to identify materials of interest before planning your visit.
Manuscripts Collections Rare Books University Archives
In addition to the collections described above, learn more about our digitized materials and our participation in the Veterans History Project, which seeks to preserve the memories of our nation’s veterans.
Digital Collections Veterans History Project
Statement on Harmful Language in Historical Materials
The Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections is home to millions of items collected from a wide variety of sources that reflect many cultures and time periods, in order to preserve and make available the historical record. As a result, some content may reflect outdated, biased, offensive, and possibly violent views and opinions.
In addition, there may be language in our collection descriptions that are outdated, insensitive or inaccurate. Such descriptions do not reflect the Canaday Center’s viewpoint, but rather the social attitudes and circumstances of the period in which it was created. We are dedicated to finding ways to mitigate the use of harmful language in our collection descriptions.
Questions? Contact us to discuss our services and collections.