In anticipation of Kennedy Library’s renovation, let’s take a walk down memory lane and reminisce about Cal Poly’s first library building, the Walter F. Dexter Memorial Library. Cal Poly had a library space since the campus opened in 1903. The…
Written by Courtney Thompson four months ago
Happy Valentine’s Day from Special Collections and Archives
Valentine’s Day seems to have polarized Cal Poly’s student body for decades. While some students are enthusiastic on the prospects of love, others mark its existence as the “most depressing day of the year.” For the past 100 years, the…
Written by Hailey Koetz six months ago
Archives and Archiving in the Digital Age: What do you do with your 1996 CD-ROM?
Kennedy Library houses many things. It is a second home to thousands of students and an office to its staff and faculty. The library is also home to Special Collections and Archives, the official repository for university records, campus history,…
Written by Ella Worley eight months ago
Spooky Season in Special Collections
Halloween is upon us, so we’ve dug up some spooky (and a few not-so-spooky) books in Special Collections and Archives to set the tone. Everything previewed below, plus a few extra titles, are available at Special Collections and Archives on the…
Written by Laura Sorvetti eight months ago
October is California Archives Month!
Every October we celebrate California Archives Month, part of the national American Archives Month, a collaborative effort by archivists and repositories across the nation to highlight the importance of archival records. Learn more about California Archives Month here. Special Collections and Archives…
Written by Courtney Thompson nine months ago
The Evolution of Musty the Mustang
Can you imagine? “Ride high, mules!” Well, neither can we here at Special Collections and Archives. Be glad that the Class of 1925 determined the mustang a better fit for their mascot. Cal Poly, established in 1901, did not have a…
Written by Laura Sorvetti nine months ago
Move-In: 100 years of Cal Poly dorm living
It’s mid-September, that energetic time when thousands of students return to San Luis Obispo after the summer break. Here’s a look back at campus living since the first move-in in 1903. Cal Poly’s first on-campus living Dormitory Row Three more dorms were added…
Written by Charlie Williams nine months ago
Falling Down the Archive “Rabbit Hole”
Charlie Williams (HIST ’19) is a student assistant in Special Collections and Archives. Here she looks a variety of sources from the University Archives that were all created to capture a single event in Cal Poly’s history. “What is it like…