The following collections have been selected as primary source collections that may be of interest to students who have majors related to Language and Literature. Please note, University Archives and Special Collections offers a plethora of primary source collections that can be used for any research project or assignment.
Aquila: The FGCU Student Research JournalAquila: The FGCU Student Research Journal publishes exceptional student scholarships from all academic disciplines and levels of study at Florida Gulf Coast University. The journal is published each year and contains research from students across many different disciplines.
Artist Book CollectionArtist’s books are a platform for personal expression created without censorship or outside influence. They are a medium of expression that employs the structure of a book as an inspiration while challenging the conventional contents of a printed volume. Artists’ books are produced in limited numbers and are classified as works of art, typically produced by a single creator. The Artist Book Collection at FGCU’s Archives and Special Collections features books from the 1970s to the present day.
Floridiana CollectionMaterials included in the Floridiana collection include maps, postcards, and publications (1730-1970) pertaining to the development of Florida, government ordinances, and government reports relating to Florida.
The Koreshan Collection presents materials that represent the daily life of the Koreshan settlement in Southwest Florida. Founded by Dr. Cyrus Teed, the Koreshan Unity was a faith-based group that quickly grew into a self-reliant township complete with a functioning economy and source of electricity. In 1961, the remaining members donated the land site to the State of Florida for historic preservation. The Koreshan State Park is open to the public.
The materials within this collection include a variety of manuscripts and letters from various different authors including Ted Boynton’s WWII letters, correspondence to and from Daniel Webster, and documents from the Romanov’s family physician.
Minnie L. Gatewood (1875-1944), who married a minister when she was 16 years old, kept diaries chronicling her life in Southwest Florida. The five volumes of her diary cover her life from 1892 to 1900 and are a valuable resource for scholars of Florida history.
An oral history interview is a type of historical research that takes place through a recorded interview between a narrator and a historian. Our oral history collections provide first-hand experience of events and life in Southwest Florida. We also have oral histories that specifically document the history of Florida Gulf Coast University.
The Porecki Orchid collection features rare books dating back to the 17th century, prints, graphic novels, and stamps related to the imagery and care of orchids. The collection was donated to the University Archives and Special Collections by Dr. Daniel Porecki in 2016.
Verna Aardema was an American author of children's books. Her collection consists of book manuscripts, correspondence with Knopf publishers, galley proofs, and ephemera documenting Aardema's career from 1991 - 1997.
The University Archives and Special Collections holds a large, permanent body of more than a thousand rare books that represent different collections within the archives from 1555 to the present.
Turner 1920's Land Boom CollectionThe Land Boom in the 1920s changed the landscape of Florida, causing the population to rise and the Florida economy to boom, helping to create the Florida that is today. The Turner 1920s Florida Land Boom collection consists of publications, advertisements, photographs, and research done by Gregg M. Turner.
