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Clark Special Collections

Clark Special Collections is currently operating at a reduced capacity and with limited services during the government shutdown.
For assistance, USAFA faculty/staff and cadets should email the Chief of Special Collections. We are currently unable to support research inquiries from outside USAFA. 

 

Collection Update:

We are migrating to a new digital archives database.
Please read our "Searching our Collections" section for more information.

 

About Clark Special Collections Branch

Lt. General A.P. Clark, for whom Special Collections Branch is named, is pictured in his role as Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy in 1970. Clark Special Collections serves the traditional function of a conventional university archive and operates as a repository for historical materials that document the origin of the U.S. Air Force, the Academy, and other topics related to the history of human flight. Holdings include photographs, oral histories, yearbooks, building plans, reports, and other papers and publications. Several rare book collections are also housed in Special Collections including the Gimbel Aeronautical Library and the Falconry collections. Clark Special Collections at the United States Air Force Academy is home to more than:

  • 100,000 photographic images
  • 14,000 films and videos 
  • 12,000 rare books
  • 2,000 Manuscript Collections
  • 1,500 oral history interviews

IMAGE NOTE: Lt. General A.P. Clark, for whom Special Collections Branch is named, is pictured in his role as Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy in 1970. 

Searching Our Collections

The Special Collections Branch is currently upgrading to a new digital platform for searching our collections. During this migration period, we recommend searching in two locations for your research interest.

Don't forget to use our Research Tools for searching oral histories, audio and video, and manuscripts.

Visiting and Contacting Special Collections

Clark Special Collections' mission is to serve the research and educational needs of cadets, faculty, and staff. Our facility is not publicly accessible. Subject to staffing levels, we may be able to assist non-Academy users, including requests to visit. Inquiries from outside of USAFA require at least a 30-day notice with a clear statement of research intent. Access is contingent on current base security restrictions and approval of the Chief of Special Collections.
Location: Room 6A52, 6th Floor, McDermott Library
Hours of Operation: 0900-1630 Mon-Fri, closed on Federal holidays
Phone number: 719.333.4674 or email the Chief of Special Collections.

Friends of the Air Force Academy Library

The Friends of the Air Force Academy Library is a nonprofit charitable organization formed to enhance the quality of the Academy's McDermott Library as an educational, research, scientific, and cultural institution. Clark Special Collections Branch has the Memorial Honor Books maintained by the Friends of the Library on permanent display. The Friends also sponsor annual research fellowships for selected visiting scholars. Their website hosts a number of collections and exhibits about the McDermott Library Collections and the Air Force Academy including the Graduate Memorial Database and the Genesis of Flight Online.

Visit the Friends of the Air Force Academy Website