The University of Kansas

Inside Spencer: The KSRL Blog

Books on a shelf

Welcome to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library blog! As the special collections and archives library at the University of Kansas, Spencer is home to remarkable and diverse collections of rare and unique items. Explore the blog to learn about the work we do and the materials we collect.

This blog may contain archived web content. This blog may link to catalog records which no longer exist as of a software change in 2026.

Throwback Thursday: Snowy Campus Edition, Part II

January 24th, 2019

Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!

Photograph of a streetcar on the KU campus, 1925

A KU streetcar behind Dyche Hall, 1925. Note the buildings in the background,
where the Union stands now. University Archives Photos.
Call Number: RG 0/24/1 Streetcars 1925 Prints: Campus: Areas and Objects (Photos).
Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).

Caitlin Donnelly
Head of Public Services

Throwback Thursday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Edition, Part II

January 17th, 2019

Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!

Photograph of a Martin Luther King, Jr. march at KU, 1982

Martin Luther King, Jr. march at KU, January 11, 1982. The banner reads
“March for Martin (Martin Luther King, Jr.) Declare Jan. 15th a Nat’l. Holiday.”
Lawrence Journal-World Photo Collection, University Archives Photos.
Call Number: RG LJW 71/18 1982 Prints: Student Activities: Student Protests (Photos).
Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).

This photo was taken four years before the first nationally-observed holiday commemorating Dr. King’s birthday. For more information about the history of the holiday’s creation, see Don Wolfensberger’s essay “The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday: The Long Struggle in Congress,” presented for a 2008 seminar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Caitlin Donnelly
Head of Public Services

Throwback Thursday: Milk and Doughnuts Edition

January 10th, 2019

Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!

Tomorrow is National Milk Day! Where is your favorite place in Lawrence to enjoy a glass of milk?

Photograph of two men sitting on the sidewalk outside Joe's Bakery, 1995

Two men on the sidewalk outside Joe’s Bakery with bakery bags and cartons of milk, 1995.
University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 71/30 Joe’s Bakery 1995 Negatives: Student Activities:
Student Hangouts (Photos). Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).

Caitlin Donnelly
Head of Public Services

Throwback Thursday: Beat Iowa State Edition

January 3rd, 2019

Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!

Good luck on Saturday, Jayhawks! Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams play Iowa State.

Photograph of a KU men's basketball game against Iowa State, 1933/1934

Photograph of a KU men's basketball game against Iowa State, 1933/1934

A game between the KU men’s basketball team and Iowa State in Hoch Auditorium, 1933/1934.
University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 71/66/13 1933/1934: Student Activities:
Sports: Basketball (Photos). Click images to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).

Caitlin Donnelly
Head of Public Services

Throwback Thursday: Orange Bowl Edition

December 27th, 2018

Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!

You may not be able to watch the Jayhawks play in any college football bowl or playoff games this year, but you can enjoy this week’s post highlighting the fiftieth anniversary of KU’s Orange Bowl appearance on January 1, 1969. The Jayhawks played Penn State.

Photograph of a man in a KU Orange Bowl hat, 1968

A KU fan with a Jayhawk hat putting Orange Bowl luggage
in the trunk of a car, 1968. University Archives Photos.
Call Number: RG 71/66/14 1968: Student Activities: Sports: Football (Photos).
Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).

Photograph of a "Kansas Kan-do!" Orange Bowl sign, 1969

A KU Orange Bowl sign depicting a Jayhawk kicking a Penn State Nittany Lion, 1969.
University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 71/66/14 1969: Student Activities:
Sports: Football (Photos). Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).

Caitlin Donnelly
Head of Public Services