University Archives & Special Collections (UASC)

PEI Collection  |  University Archives | SEARCH TIPS

Prince Edward Island Collection

The Prince Edward Island Collection was established in 1971. It was made possible by the transfer of the assets of the St. Dunstan's University Alumni Association to the University of Prince Edward Island. The interest on this fund is now used to purchase many of the PEI Collection materials. The PEI Collection works to acquire all Island-related publications, including books, newspapers and periodicals, PEI government documents, and more. 

The Collection includes:

  • A book and periodical component, containing more than 13,000 volumes. These are either about Prince Edward Island, written by PEI authors or published on the Island. Included is a large number of government reports.
  • A collection of maps and charts pertaining to the Province some of which is on display throughout the Library.
  • A large collection of current and historical PEI newspapers and periodicals (newspapers are mainly available as microfilm and -- increasingly -- digitally; periodicals are mainly in print). This is partially indexed.

Newspaper, book, pamphlet and other vertical file material references (up to and including December 1997) are combined in a Subject card Catalogue which is a printed supplement to the main online Library Catalogue. Journal articles can also be searched by author in the Author card Catalogue. The unique features of these card Catalogues include the references to local newspapers and other local periodicals, pamphlets, etc. which may not be indexed in any other indexing or abstracting source. 

The PEI Collection is housed, along with the University's Archives and a collection of rare books, in the climate-controlled University Archives and Special Collections (UASC) area on the main level of the Robertson Library, on the far side of the Learning Commons. Requests for PEI Collection materials must be directed to Library staff, either in the UASC area or -- if no one is available there -- at the main Library Service Desk. Materials must be used within the Library, and some photocopying and viewing restrictions may apply to particularly rare and/or fragile items.  For further assistance in relating to the PEI Collection, please contact Juanita Rossiter.


University Archives

The University Archives are located in the Library's University Archives & Special Collections Area which also houses the Prince Edward Island Collection and Rare Book Collection. The Archives contains materials relating to the University of Prince Edward Island and its two predecessors: Prince of Wales College and St. Dunstan's University. It includes yearbooks, class pictures, calendars, newspapers and newsletters, newspaper clippings, faculty publications, audiocassettes, videocassettes, and vertical file items.

Many publications relating connected to UPEI, PWC, and SDU are searchable in the Library's online catalogue: the location SPEC-ARCH identifies items shelved in the University Archives. 

Archives' material may only be used within the Library, and photocopying and/or viewing restrictions may apply to especially valuable and/or fragile items. For further assistance relating to the University Archives, please contact Juanita Rossiter.

Archival Fonds (Collections) Finding Aids

Since 2023, the UASC unit has been developing archival finding aids compliant with the Canadian Council of Archives' Rules for Archival Description (RAD). As our collection of RAD-compliant finding aids grows, we will be developing a searchable database of these descriptions, but we are pleased to share this listing of available .pdf descriptions:

Search Tips 

Find Recent PEI Newspaper Articles:

Full-text articles from The Guardian (1997 - present) and The Journal-Pioneer (1999 -present) can be accessed through the Eureka (formerly Newscan) database on the Library’s  “News and Newspapers” page. Here's a tip sheet for searching within the Guardian or Journal Pioneer using Eureka.

Find PEI Books:

Library Catalogue

All PEI Collection and University Archives’ books, reports, government documents, etc. are catalogued in the Robertson Library’s main on-line catalogue.

  • Try adding the phrase prince edward island to PEI-related searches, and university of prince edward island to searches for material relating to UPEI. Avoid acronyms, such as P.E.I./PEI or U.P.E.I./UPEI.
  • When viewing the full catalogue record, check under Location for duplicate copies, as some PEI titles may have copies available in STACKS; Stacks copies may be borrowed with a UPEI Library card.
    Remember, however, that any PEI Collection and University Archives’ titles housed in Special Collections can only be used in the Library.
  • The Special Collections Room is closed-stack  (you must ask staff to retrieve materials) so note clearly the following information and bring it with you to the University Archives and Special Collections area. If UASC staff are unavailable, staff at the main Library Service Desk may be able to assist you:

Book Title, Call #, and Location

(i) SPEC-PEI = PEI Collection
(ii) SPEC-ARCH = University Archives

Finding Older non-book material: PEI Collection Card Catalogue and PEI Article Databases

The PEI card catalogue in the Special Collections’ Reading Room is arranged by subject: ask for assistance if you’re not sure which heading to check. The card catalogue provides access to pre-1997 P.E.I. periodical indexing, to the thousands of pamphlets, clippings, etc. in the PEI Vertical File, and to other information resources not found in the online library catalogue.

If you find a heading with lots of cards under it, remember that cards within a particular heading are sorted alphabetically by author name, or by item title where no author is credited. Some popular subject headings are also subdivided, as shown below.
   P.E.I. - Biography - [name of person - last name first]
   P.E.I. - Business Firms - [name of business]
   P.E.I. - Local History - [name of community]

If you are not sure what information to record from an index card, flag the card with a slip of scrap paper and show it to Library staff.

Digitized PEI materials: islandarchives.ca

While it still represents only a fraction of the content available in the University Archives and Special Collections, this large and ever-growing digital repository of PEI-related books, maps, sound recordings, and periodicals will often prove worth a look! This is still a work-in-progress, so please don't hesitate to ask for assistance (see below).

Ask for Help

Please contact Acting University Archivist and Special Collections Librarian Juanita Rossiter for further assistance. 

 
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