Hello! I am an Archivist at Kennedy Library's Special Collections and Archives. I can help you navigate archives research and primary sources, from Kennedy Library's Special Collections and Archives to around the world and online.
Contact:
Special Collections and Archives
Kennedy Library, Cal Poly
Searching for primary sources in University Archives (not digitized)
Many of the materials in the University Archives are not digitized yet. You can only find them in the Special Collections and Archives department in the Library. The staff of Special Collections and Archives are available to help you locate materials that would be helpful for your research. If you want to browse before you come to the archives, here are some places to start.
University Archives Register
The first place to begin your search for primary sources in University Archives is the University Archives Register, which lists the majority of collections in University Archives.
Some of the collections listed in the register have their own inventories. These inventories describe what is in the collection, to a box or folder-level description.
Here are some of the collections in University Archives that are helpful for HIST100:
Are you researching Cal Poly student demographics? Here are some resources:
Cal Poly's Office of Institutional Research
The Office of Institutional Research provides data from approximately 1998 onward at their website: https://ir.calpoly.edu/
Records prior to 1998 from the Office of Institutional Research are available in the University Archives.
Historic demographics and enrollment data
University Archives collections include enrollment records starting with the first year of enrollment. They are not all digitized, so you will have to come in to Special Collections and Archives to consult the records. Data is divided by gender, ethnicity and race (starting Fall 1973), department, college, year, etc.
University Archives has enrollment data that you can request by emailing archives@calpoly.edu
Archiving websites
Special Collections and Archives has been capturing websites since 2015. You can search the websites we've captured here: https://archive-it.org/home/calpoly
Let us know if there is a website we should be archiving: archives@calpoly.edu
Locating Senior Projects in the library
Students often write senior projects on Cal Poly topics and these senior projects can be considered primary sources that help understand Cal Poly history. Learn how to access senior projects here.