Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library

Located on the 4th floor of the Mansfield Library, Archives & Special Collections helps to document the history of the region through its unique and valuable manuscript and print holdings. Our collections and resources provide rich opportunities for learning and scholarship to UM faculty and students, to Montanans, and to researchers from around the world.

The K. Ross Toole Archives is the location of a large number of unpublished materials relating to the people and history of western Montana, as well as the history of The University of Montana. Our holdings include letters and diaries of Montana pioneers; papers of individuals and organizations involved in land use and environmental conservation; the congressional papers of politicians including Mike Mansfield, James Murray, Pat Williams, and John Melcher; over 2,500 oral histories; and nearly 100,000 historic photographs.

Special Collections houses more than 5,000 rare and valuable books, as well as state and federal documents, regional and historic maps, ephemera, and pamphlets. Our strongest collections relate to the history of Montana and the region, but we also have outstanding and unusual items drawn from a wide range of disciplines from British and American literature to the natural sciences. 

The Montana Room holds a browsable collection of books, newspapers, maps, state agency reports and University of Montana publications supporting research into the history of the University, the Missoula area, the state, and the region.

For more information, visit our General Information page. You can learn more about our materials and how to find them on our Collections page. Our policies and procedures are listed on our Policies page, and we have a list of other helpful resources, including digital collections and online exhibitions at our Research Tools page. You can also keep up to date on the latest news by visiting our department blog.

Contact Us:

• By Phone: 406.243.2053
• By Email: library.archives@umontana.edu