October 28, 2021
Tour the renovated Morse Department of Special Collections
The Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Special Collections at K-State Libraries will provide tours of its renovated spaces in Hale Library today in celebration of American Archives Month. Those interested must register online to participate. You can also get an inside peek of the collections by following the Libraries on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
The Morse Department of Special Collections is currently open by appointment as staff finish bringing materials back into the building following a fire in 2018. All materials are expected to be returned by fall break.
Shortly after the fire, all collections were moved offsite and cleaned. In April 2021, archival materials began to return to Hale Library under the coordination of Helena Egbert, processing archivist.
"Getting materials back into the building has been a stressful and challenging experience, but I have enjoyed working with Belfor Property Restoration and my new colleagues during this time," Egbert said. "Once the reload is complete, the next phase of processing and getting archival materials in front of researchers can begin."
Following the return of archival boxes, Roger Adams, rare books librarian, oversaw the reload of the department's books, which date from 1486. Print collections requiring further review are currently being shelved with the goal of adding them to our catalog of items in the coming months.
"We appreciate the patience so many people have shown while we have sought to get collections more available," said Cliff Hight, head of Special Collections. "While there remains much more work to continue improving access, the devoted efforts of Libraries colleagues and Belfor personnel have helped us get to this point."
If you would like to learn more about holdings in Special Collections or use them in research or instruction, please contact Special Collections at libsc@k-state.edu or 785-532-7456.