A Guide to Local Resources

West Florida has a rich cultural history, and there are many resources available for researching that history. Use this site to search a catalog of materials held by UWF Library's Special Collections Department plus catalogs and databases of other local historical organizations ...

About the Collections

UWF Special Collections

UWF Special Collections is a comprehensive history collection covering the West Florida region from Spanish settlement to the present, with emphasis on the history of Pensacola. The collections include 700 collections of personal papers of individuals, families, businesses, and subject collections such as the U.S. Navy Yard, church histories, and genealogical materials. These are supplemented by 30,000 photographs, 2,000 maps, and nearly 15,000 printed books, journals, and other information resources pertinent to West Florida, its people, institutions and organizations. Themes include history, geography, genealogy, environmental studies, art and architecture, health and medicine, biography, technology, legal history, archaeology, and other subjects. UWF Special Collections is located in the basement of John C. Pace Library on the UWF Campus.

Pensacola Historical Society

Founded in 1933, the Pensacola Historical Society is the oldest continuously operating historical organization in the city. The Society operates a Resource Center and historical library at 117 E. Government St. that is open to the public for a nominal fee. Assistance for researchers is available. Admission is free to members of the Society.

UWF History Department's Oral History Collection

This collection comprises some 300 interviews conducted by UWF History Department students. It is housed in UWF Special Collections, in the basement of John C. Pace Library on the UWF Campus. The collection includes audiotapes and videos of the interviews (copies of which may be obtained through Special Collections staff) as well as tape logs, transcripts and collateral materials.