SCRC materials are divided into different collecting areas. There are three archival collecting areas: Manuscripts, University Archives, and Political Papers. Also, there are Rare Books and Digital Collections.
Manuscripts
Manuscripts is the main collecting area of SCRC. It includes personal papers, institutional records, and photographs, primarily in the subjects of American philosophy.
University Archives comprehensively collects all documents created by SIUC personnel and offices. Its goal is to preserve the academic, athletic, and administrative legacy of the university from its origin to the present.
Political Papers includes the papers and records of public officials, governmental organizations, and advocacy groups, focusing on Illinois state politics and the regional politics of southern Illinois.
Rare Books holds over 100,000 volumes, along with a collection of serials and audiovisual books, the majority of which complement the archival collections at SCRC. Subjects primarily include American and British expatriate literature, Irish literature and history, James Joyce, American philosophy.
SCRC maintains an active digitization program, with many papers, books, photographs, audio recordings, and videos available online. All digital materials are reproductions of original primary source items.
