The Eva G. Farris Special Collections and Schlachter University Archives acquires, describes, preserves, and provides access to unique, distinctive, and rare materials that document the rich history of our university and region. We make an impact across our community by fostering research, community engagement, and intellectual inquiry. We utilize our experience and expertise to provide resources and services that empower researchers (local and national) to produce innovative and important scholarship. In order to most effectively achieve this mission, we collaborate across the university and local community, and advance our operations strategically.
Our team provides access to our collections, hands on archival instruction to NKU students, and oversees the University’s Records and Information Management program. Please refer to our directory to learn more about our Special Collections & University Archives team members.
We have both physical and digital collections that the NKU community and researchers from across the country can access. Collection areas of strength include African American history, military history, religious history, local genealogy, and artworks related to nineteenth century literature.
To visit the Archives’ Reading Room and explore our collections in-person, reach out to archives@nku.edu to make an appointment with us. We are open to the public Monday-Thursday, 10am-2pm.
To access our collections online visit:
For more information on how we acquire collections, see our collection development policy or reach out to us.
We provide hands-on archival instruction upon request for our NKU and broader Northern Kentucky community. Instruction sessions emphasize the importance of historical context in analyzing primary sources, provides students the opportunity to do hands-on work with unique archival materials, and shares the value in “reading against the grain” for a holistic understanding of a text.
To schedule a session, reach out to archives@nku.edu. We ask for at least two weeks advance notice.
We are responsible for NKU’s campus-wide Records and Information Management program. As a state university, NKU is legally required to comply with Kentucky’s state university records model for all records created by the university or its employees, both physical and digital. Please see our University Records and Information Management pages for additional information on our retention schedule, records destruction, and policy, public records and privacy issues.
