Special Collections and Archives

Documenting the History of the Sunshine State and Beyond

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The Miami-Dade Public Library System's Special Collections and Archives Division oversees and maintains a wide number of collections ranging from rare books and genealogy materials to 16mm films.

Its mission is to preserve and organize the Library’s various collections with the highest archival and library standards, by continually improving intellectual control and access to the collections, integrating Special Collections holdings into the information systems of the library and developing new information services.

Genealogy Collection

The Genealogy Collection is housed at Main Library and consists of more than 27,000 publications, 35,000 microfilm units and maintains materials on nearly all major U.S. cities, states and territories, as well as a growing international section of genealogy archives. Several families have donated their self-published newsletters or family trees to the Miami-Dade Public Library System.

The Genealogy Collection maintains these unpublished physical archives in person at Main Library, while also available through our Digital Collections. Genealogy reference librarians are available onsite and through Miami-Dade Public Library System’s electronic reference service (e-reference) to assist patrons in conducting their family research.

Free online resources, including subscriptions to paid database services like Ancestry Library Edition are also available. In particular, The Miami-Dade County Obituary Index provides publication citations for more than915,000 individuals whose obituaries or death notices were published in Miami newspapers from 1896 through 2008. This online index was digitally published from the files of Ann J. McFadden’s Dade County Florida Obituary Index. The earliest Dade County deaths featured a much larger territory than it encompasses today and these obituary citations were included as-is in the index. The online index is available for free at obituaryindex.mdpls.org.

Helen Muir Florida Collection

The Helen Muir Florida Collection contains a broad range of information about the Sunshine State, with special emphasis on South Florida. The collection is comprised of works by Florida authors and Floridiana including rare books, documents, photographs and indexes of regional newspapers. It also includes the Gleason Waite Romer Collection of 17,500 photographic negatives and prints (available online through our Digital Collections) that show Miami's history from 1925 through the 1950s.

A variety of original manuscripts from Florida authors and poets are included within our archives, spanning approximately 96 linear feet with more than 500 authors. Topics within the collection include Spanish American War, Florida Treaties and Poster Collection of Events. The Miami-Dade Public Library’s history is also recorded at length from the very beginning of the City of Miami Public Library.

The Vasari Project

The Vasari Project is a library collection dedicated to documenting, collecting and preserving Miami‑Dade County's art history from 1945 to the present. It is a living archive that grows through contributions from artists, art professionals, exhibition spaces, galleries, institutions and private donors.

The Vasari Project is a resource for ongoing research, scholarship, publications, artists' projects, exhibitions and events. The archive collects documentation rather than original works of art comprised primarily of printed matter. Examples included correspondence, press clippings, photographs, posters, books, exhibition catalogs, artists' files, oral histories and other ephemeral materials.

Browse the Vasari Collection

16mm Film Collection

The MDPLS 16mm film collection dates to 1956 and was developed to be a teaching collection for public library programming. The emphasis of the collection has been placed on films of general educational and artistic value for adults and on films that offer a creative experience for children. Unique to the collection are Florida-specific titles such as Enchanted, Metropolis in the Sun, Florida Everglades, A Hurricane Named Betsy, Miccosukee Indian Friends, Salesman, Calling Miami Home, Florida’s Turnpike, Last Night at the S&S, Just Co-incidence and more.

Cuban Collection

The Library’s Cuban Collection holds oral histories about the island, poetry and fiction novels by Cuban authors, tourism ephemera, cartography of historical documents and newsletters with information on American-owned businesses and Cuban socialites. Many items from this collection are also included in our Digital Collections.

Formerly available in the Spanish language section of the Library, the Cuban collection's rarity and comprehension of prerevolution documentation makes it stand out as one of our premier and under-recognized collections. Associated Cuban materials include the Losada Family papers, part of the Genealogy Collection.

Rare & Antiquarian Book Collection

The Rare & Antiquarian Book Collection includes a wide range of rare or high monetary value books, including a first edition of Mark Catesby's The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands.

Please note that items from this collection are not available for check out.