Special Collections and Archives

Shenandoah University Special Collections include archival materials relatingto the university (Shenandoah Collection), theses, dissertations and yearbooks, rare or unusual books, an extensive early 20th century sheet music collection, materials relating to the Evangelical United Brethren, and a collection of almost 300 hymnals from several denominations. The university does not collect or retain any genealogical materials.

The Special Collections office is located on the second floor of the Smith library. A library staff member will assist patrons with use of these materials, as many items are old and in very fragile condition. Special Collections materials must be used only in Smith Library. For access to Special Collections, please contact the Reference Department at (540) 665-5444.

Archival materials relating to the history of the university can be found in the Special Collections department on the second floor of Smith Library. Annual and financial reports, accreditation self-studies, and the Zynodoa yearbook are examples of Shenandoah University publications found in this area. Additionally, the collection includes publications by current and former Shenandoah alumni and faculty, as well as books and materials concerning the history and development of the university.

The Smith Library also maintains an archive of the Virginia Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren/United Brethren Church. These materials are located in a facility on the basement level of the Library. Typically, the EUB/UB collection includes Virginia conference-wide materials, but relatively little relating to EUB churches and their ministers. These materials are of particular interest to historians of the university due to the fact that much of the endowment for the relocation of Shenandoah from Dayton to Winchester was provided through the Evangelical United Brethren Church.

Evangelical United Brethren historical materials appear in the library's catalog under its own formal title, as well as under various antecedent denominations. A brief explanation is provided here (via the Library of Congress) of the interrelationships between the various churches:

"In 1939 the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church (South), and the Methodist Protestant Church united to form the Methodist Church (U.S.); in 1946 the Church of the United Brethren in Christ (New constitution) and the Evangelical Church united to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church; in 1968 the Methodist Church (U.S.) and the Evangelical United Brethren Church united to form the United Methodist Church (U.S.)."