The Texas State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives preserves and makes accessible rare and unique archival collections with enduring research value. Our mission is to collect, describe, and preserve our ever-growing collections in order to make them available and accessible to the Texas State University community and beyond. In our collections, you'll find historic documents, oral histories, photographs, maps, rare books, newspapers, audio and video recordings, and much more.

New materials are added to the Archives through the transfer of records from University departments and the acquisition of select items from donors; these materials document the history and legacy of the University and provide researchers with unique sources of research information.

Of special note are the accessions of photographic negatives held by the Special Collections and Archives, which together form the most comprehensive collection of historical photographs related to the Hays County region of Texas, including the photographic archives of the San Marcos Daily Record newspaper

Founded by Bill and Sally Wittliff in 1986, The Wittliff Collections is a distinguished and steadily-growing archive charged with preserving, exhibiting, and providing access to the papers and artifacts of principle writers, filmmakers, and musicians of the southwest.

In the Southwestern Writers Collections, manuscripts, notes, diaries, photographs, correspondence, and artifacts are among the resources that afford insights into the personal lives and creative processes of the region’s best writers.

The Texas Music Collections represents a rich variety of Texas music from country and Western Swing to blues, rock-and-roll, Tejano, punk, and Americana. Original song lyrics and compositions, photographs, posters, and memorabilia provide a backstage glimpse at the stories behind the music.

Film archives are an essential part of The Wittliff Collections, with a focus on the craft of story-telling from script to screen, but often including production materials that provide a behind-the-scenes look at filmmaking in Texas.

The resources in The Wittliff Collections attest to a tremendous diversity of creative expression among southwestern artists and are available for research and inspiration