Adams State Photo Collection
San Luis Valley Clippings Collection
Newspaper Collection
Colorado Historical Maps Collection
Ruth Marie Colville Papers
Jack Cooper Collection
Jack Cooper Papers
Special Collections General Book Collection
Obituary Clippings Files
Adams State Green Files
Proceedings of the Terrace Irrigation District
San Luis Valley and Adams State Sound Recordings
San Luis Valley Historian
The Colorado Magazine
Dr. James and Irene Craft Photography Collection
Chapter AE PEO Time Capsule Collection
Current Periodicals
O. T. Davis Photographs
Virginia McConnell Simmons Papers
Huffman and Wilson Fire History
Virginia Sánchez Papers
Adams State Photo Collection – Collection of Adams State and Valley Photos from the 1940s to the 1990s. Recent photos include slides and other formats.
Finding Aids – Online Flickr set
Access – Anyone can access. Access must be in one of the upstairs study rooms or next to the reference desk.
Location – Archives: Pizza Boxes and Filing Cabinets for older photos, Room 319 on the third floor for more recent photos.
San Luis Valley Clippings Collection – Newspaper Clippings and resource notes arranged by subject. Dates mostly from the 1950s-1970s.
Finding Aids – Google Spreadsheet, Folder in the Colorado Room
Access – Anyone can access, closed collection.
Location – Colorado Room
Newspaper Collection – Newspapers from the San Luis Valley. Years range from the 1800s to current.
Finding Aids – Folder in Newspaper Room and by Microfilm, Google Spreadsheet, Valley Courier Online Index
Access – Anyone can access, microfilm (open collection), Newspaper Room (closed collection.)
Location – Microfilm, Newspaper Room, Periodicals Office (for recent Paw Print and Valley Courier.)
Colorado Historical Maps Collection – A collection of over 200 maps detailing Colorado places, districts, and other points of interest.
Finding Aids – Library Catalog, Google Spreadsheet.
Access – Anyone can access, closed collection.
Location – Archives Storage 319
Ruth Marie Colville Papers – Ruth Marie Colville (1904-2003) was a local Valley historian. She left many of her letters, diaries, and scrapbooks to the library.
Finding Aids – Google Spreadsheet
Access – Anyone can access. Access must be either in the Colorado room, or next to the reference desk. Since the papers are not yet processed please contact a librarian so that they may have the items ready for you.
Location – Archives
Jack Cooper Collection – Jack Cooper was a local Valley historian who donated his collection of books, papers, and journals on San Luis Valley and Adams States topics. Cooper was also an avid photographer and general historian. The collection includes many books on photography and general United State History.
Finding Aids – Online Catalog, Google Spreadsheet
Access – Anyone can access, closed collection.
Location – Archives Room.
Jack Cooper Papers – A collection of documents and manuscripts written by Jack Cooper.
Finding Aids – None yet.
Access – Anyone can access. Access must be in the Cooper Room or next to the reference desk. Since the papers are not yet processed please contact a librarian so that they may gather the items together for you.
Location – Cooper Room Filing Cabinet.
Special Collections General Book Collection – Includes rare and fragile books, as well as books on local and Adams State history.
Finding Aids – Library Catalog, Google Spreadsheet
Access – Anyone can access. Closed collection.
Location – Archives
Obituary Clippings Files – A clippings files cabinet that contains Valley obituaries, mostly from the 50s-70s.
Finding Aids – None yet.
Access – Closed collection. Please provide a librarian with the name and date of the person you are looking for and they will gather the information for you. See our Online Valley Courier Headlines Index to search for obituaries.
Adams State Green Files – Green boxes containing Adams State Documents and Personal Collections.
Finding Aids – Google Spreadsheet
Access – Anyone can access. Closed collection.
Location – Archives
Proceedings of the Terrace Irrigation District – The Terrace Irrigation District managed the Terrace reservoir outside of Monte Vista from 1911-1941. This 12 part collection includes correspondence, ledgers, maps, photographs, minutes of meetings, DVDs, and other related material. Part 12 includes the original diaries of David Mathias, Special Deputy State Engineer from 1941-1961, and provide information on the management of the Rio Grande in Colorado during his tenure.
Finding Aids – Library Catalog
Access – Anyone can access. Access must be in one of the upstairs study rooms or next to the reference desk.
Location – Archives
San Luis Valley and Adams State Sound Recordings – A collection of tapes and reel-reel sound recordings on general history, local history, and Adams State events. *Please note the items cannot be listened to at this time. If you see an item you would like digitized, please inform a librarian.*
Finding Aids – Google Spreadsheet
Access – No access at this time.
Location – Archives
San Luis Valley Historian – Publication of the San Luis Valley Historical Society. Contains articles on Valley history. 1969-2011.
Finding Aids – Library Catalog, San Luis Valley Index (Shelved with the Historian in the Colville Room) covers 1969-2006.
Access – Anyone can access.
Location – Current Periodicals (Open Collection, no check out) Colville Room (closed collection)
The Colorado Magazine – A magazine of Colorado History. The library has v.1-57 (1923-1980). This magazine was succeeded by Colorado Heritage.
Finding Aids – Library Catalog, Index for v.1-57 in the Cooper Room
Access – Anyone can access. Cooper Room is a closed collection; Periodicals is an open collection.
Location – Cooper Room F771 .C46, Periodicals
Dr. James and Irene Craft Photography Collection – Dr. Craft, an Adams State professor, and his wife, Irene Craft were avid photographers and members of a professional photography club. This collection contains many of their negatives, with a few prints.
Finding Aids – Google Spreadsheet
Access – Anyone can access. Cooper Room is a closed collection; Periodicals is an open collection.
Location – Archives Storage 319
Chapter AE PEO Time Capsule Collection – This time capsule has many historical and current documents of the Alamosa PEO chapter.
Finding Aids – Google Spreadsheet
Access – Anyone can access. Cooper Room is a closed collection; Periodicals is an open collection.
Location – Archives Storage 31938-PEO
Current Periodicals
Finding Aids – Library Catalog
Access – Anyone can access. Periodicals is an open collection.
Location – Periodicals
O.T. Davis Photographs – The library has a collection of O.T. Davis photographs taken in the San Luis Valley from around 1913.
Finding Aids – Google Spreadsheet
Access – Anyone can access. Archives is a closed collection.
Virginia McConnell Simmons Papers - Virginia McConnell Simmons is the author of several books on Colorado history. This collection was used to research one of her books, and was given to Nielsen Library by the Sangre de Cristo Heritage Center.
Finding Aids – Google Spreadsheet
Access – Anyone can access. Archives is a closed collection.
Fran Huffman and Dorothy Wilson Fire History - Dorothy Wilson was the first caretaker of the collections that became the Luther Bean Museum. She and Fran Huffman wrote a history of fires in the San Luis Valley, using microfilmed newspapers, Sanborn maps of early Alamosa, and materials from Carl and Dorothy Asay.
Finding Aids - Link
Access - Anyone can access.
Virginia Sánchez Papers - Virginia Sánchez donated research materials about Conejos, Colorado, and electronic copy of research for her book Pleas and Petitions: Hispano Culture and Legislative Conflict in Territorial Colorado.
Finding Aids - Conejos material; Pleas and Petitions
Access - Anyone can access. Conejos material is in the Archives, a closed collection.
