Special Collections Summer Project 

In collaboration with the Office of Undergraduate Research, the LSU Special Collections Library offers undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct a summer research or creative project using the resources and materials held within LSU's Special Collections at Hill Memorial Library.

Special Collections is home to resources such as the Louisiana & Lower Mississippi Valley Collections, Rare Book Collections, University Archives, T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History, Louisiana Newspapers archives, and more.  Special Collections Summer Project students are mentored by an archivist or librarian.

Students accepted to the program can earn up to $3,000 in wages for hours worked on the project.

This summer, Special Collections archivists at Hill Memorial Library invite students to apply to participate in a research project using one of the library’s archival collections.  Two students will be selected to work with an archivist on a research project of their choice. 

Applicant information

Eligibility for funding

  • Must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in the following fall 
  • Must have a minimum 2.5 college GPA
  • Must be in good standing with the university

Restrictions

  • Students cannot earn wages from both the Special Collections Program and another funding source for the same hours worked on a project

Summer 2026 application deadline: February 15th

Summer 2026 decisions announced: March 30

Mandatory Orientation: May 22

Program Duration: May 25 - July 31

In this project, a student will work closely with a mentor at LSU Libraries Special Collections to explore one collection in depth, from either the Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections (LLMVC) or the LSU University Archives. The student researcher and mentor will choose a collection that matches the student’s interests and can be thoroughly researched over the course of the summer. 


Working in the reading room at Hill Memorial Library, the student will conduct original research and select 6–10 documents for a digital exhibit, using these items to share what they’ve learned through thoughtful interpretation and explanatory text. Along the way, the student will learn how to work with primary sources and gain hands-on experience in an archival research setting. 


LSU Libraries Special Collections, located at Hill Memorial Library, preserves and provides access to rare books, manuscripts, archives, and other unique research materials. The LLMVC focuses on the history and culture of Louisiana and the lower Mississippi Valley, while the University Archives documents the people and events that have shaped LSU. Together, these collections offer rich opportunities for original, hands-on research. 

Click here to learn more about Special Collections

Interested undergraduate students should complete the application form at the link below.

Click here to access the Project Application Form

If you are having issues with any of these online forms, please submit all of your application documents and information to lsuour@lsu.edu 

All students who are accepted must fulfill the following requirements:

  • Attend the mandatory orientation.
  • Present summer project at end of summer event and at LSU Discover Day in the following spring.
  • Attend the following mandatory trainings & workshops:
    • Working with archival materials
    • Research Ethics
    • Professional Relationships
    • CV Writing
    • Citation Management
    • Presentation training
Image

Summer 2023 researchers Nathaniel Dela Pena and Madison Saucier (center) with their mentors, Zach Tompkins (far left) and Alia Kempton (far right)

Image

Summer 2024 researcher Bryce Edwards presenting at the 29th annual Summer Undergraduate Research Forum

 

Past Recipients:

Name Major Research Project
Ella Blandino Studio Art LSU Centennial Display
Emily Bracher Mass Communication LSU Centennial Display
Nsreen Saleh Psychology LSU Centennial Oral History

Name Major Mentor Research
Charlotte Balart English Kelly Larson Archives Teaching Tool: The Nancy Pinson Papers
Bryce Edwards History Jennifer Cramer 20 Years in the Middle East: The Veteran's Experience Through Oral History

Name Major Mentor Research
Nathaniel Dela Pena History Zach Tompkins LSU History walking tour app
Madison Saucier History Alia Kempton Confronting the History of LSU's Land: Arlington Plantation

 

Leadership Team

Jen Cramer, Director of the T.Harry Williams Center for Oral History

Kelly Larson, Special Collections Head of Research & Public Services

Brandon Layton, Special Collections Digital Engagement and Pedagogy Librarian

John Miles, Special Collections Curator of Books & Head of Instruction

Zach Tompkins, Special Collections University Archivist

Sarah Ferstel, Director, LSU Office of Undergraduate Research

Gina Costello, Associate Dean, Technology Initiatives & Special Collections