Special Collections consist of rare and specially printed materials that have long-term historical research value for the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s academic programs. The collections support a broad range of research and teaching activities in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Special Collections do not circulate and are available for research use in the Archives. Currently, Special Collections include the Assassination Collection, the Rare Books Collection, and the Bunce Artist Book Collection.
The Assassination Collection was created by Professor David Wrone, a former professor of history at UW-Stevens Point. The emphasis of most of the books in the collection is the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, but it also includes a few books on the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. All Assassination Collection books are discoverable in the library’s online catalog, but they do not circulate and are available to researchers in the Archives’ reading room.
The Rare Book Collection includes printed materials which require special handling and preservation due to their rarity, value, age, content, or special physical characteristics. The Rare Books Collection Development Policy provides more context on the nature of the books in the collection. All Rare Books are discoverable in the library’s online catalog, but they do not circulate and are available to researchers in the Archives’ reading room.
The William C. “Bill” Bunce Artist Books Collection was created after the passing of Bill Bunce in 2002. Bunce was the founding director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Kohler Art Library where he built one of the largest collections of artists’ books in the Midwest. Several faculty members from UW-Stevens Point knew Bunce from their time studying at UW-Madison, and they established this collection as a tribute to his memory.
Gordie Morey donated a handful of artists’ books to start the collection. Caren Heft, director of the Edna Carlsten Art Gallery at UW-Stevens Point from 2001-2015, solicited additional donations from former students and artists who knew Bunce. Artist books made by students in bookmaking and printing classes at UW-Stevens Point and Indiana University-Bloomington were also added to the collection and now make up a large part of its contents.