The Archives, Special Collections, and Digital Initiatives department of the University Libraries acquires historical materials related to Mercer University history and Baptist life in Georgia; processes and houses these materials according to archival standards; makes these materials available to researchers both on- and off-campus; and, through all of these activities, represents Mercer University and its mission.
This guide provides information about Mercer University's Archives, Special Collections, and Digital Initiatives collecting policies and procedures. Please contact Archives Staff at archives@mercer.edu or 478-301-2968 to speak with an archivist regarding your potential donation.
If you are interested in making a monetary donation to Mercer's Archives, please visit the page below to learn more. Thank you for supporting our mission to preserve the history of Mercer University and Georgia Baptists!
As early as 1879, the Georgia Baptist Convention selected Mercer University as the depository for historical materials. Mercer had many close ties with Baptist leaders of that period, and it was then the oldest Baptist college in the state. This selection has been reaffirmed numbers of times through the years as Baptist history societies and committees have developed in the state. By the early twentieth century, when the library was located in the Hardman Building, Baptist history materials and books from Mercer’s first libraries and the theological library were kept in closed stacks. A museum containing rare books, as well as books concerning Georgia and Southern history, opened twice each year for viewing.
The Stetson Library opened in 1964 with a room set aside for materials related to Baptist, Georgia, and Southern history. This Stetson Room also housed books written by Mercer alumni, books from Mercer’s first libraries, and autographed books. As space became a problem, many of the books related to Georgia and Southern history were moved to the circulating collection, and large numbers of the older books were placed in storage. The closure of Tift College in 1987 brought another archival collection to Stetson.
In 1989, the materials were moved from the Stetson Library to the Special Collections unit in the new Main Library, which later became the Jack Tarver Library. Mercer University archives were also collected in this area. Early in 1992, Mercer University made an agreement with the newly formed national organization, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, to serve as its history depository. In 2010, the Library launched the digital repository URSA: Mercer University Research, Scholarship, and Archives. Atlanta’s Swilley Library had maintained several small archival collections through the years, and these were merged into the department under the supervision of Swilley’s first full-time archivist in 2021.