About the Center

 

The Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies maintains the Southeastern Louisiana University Archives and Special Collections and provides a closed-stack research library.


Approximately six hundred separate archival collections document regional history with critical holdings on the areas of farming, logging, railroading and maritime industries.


Extensive collections explore the assassination of John F. Kennedy and document the life and political careers of longtime Southeast Louisiana United States Congressmen James H. "Jimmie" Morrison and John R. Rarick, Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis, and other regional political figures.


Additional collections highlight the region's antebellum development, Civil War operations, ethnic diversity, and the struggle for civil rights, including:

  • The Carter Plantation Collection documenting Livingston Parish life from the 1830s to present day.
  • Rare editions of regional Civil War-era newspapers.
  • The Alexander Bartus Collection on the largest rural Hungarian community in the United States.
  • The Hebert and the William H. Sullivan Collections of Civil Rights's-era Bogalusa, Louisiana.
  • The Donald Sharp Collection containing extensive research on the Florida Parishes and surrounding environs
  • The Irene Reid Morris and Irene Reid Morris Genealogy Collections, highlighting the rich history of northern Tangipahoa Parish and the surrounding areas.

  • The Bertha Neff Collection, featuring genealogical and historical information from the personal collection of St. Tammany Parish’s longtime archivist.

  • The Suzanne Barnes-Graham Collection detailing the contributions to the development of Hammond, Louisiana by the Cate Family
  • New collections under development examine Gulf South Colonial History and the Plain Folk of the South.
  • An extensive photographic collection, including the Center's premier exhibit, Piney Woods People: Pioneers on the Lumber Frontier of Southeast Louisiana, records turn-of-the-century life in the backwoods of the Florida Parishes.
  • The Wiley H. Sharp, Jr. Collection of Southeastern Indian Artifacts from various regional sites provides evidence on the activities of the early hunting and gathering people who occupied the Pontchartrain Basin nearly 3,500 years ago.
  • Vintage maps, newspapers, census reports and oral histories compliment the study of local and regional history.
  • The Florida Parishes History Outreach Program networks area Public Junior and Senior High School and University teachers.
  • Consulting services are available for regional museums and historical associations, and the Center provides speakers on regional history and cultural topics.
  • On-site and traveling exhibits showcase southeastern Louisiana history.

 

The Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies is always pleased to receive photographs and written materials which help document the history of our region. We can, if necessary, copy photographs and manuscripts for historical research and return the originals to their owners. For more information about contributing materials, contact the director.

 

Fee Schedule

Xerox Copying: $0.50 per copy

Microfilm Copying: $0.50 per copy

Transcription Fee: $10.00 per hour, one hour minimum

If a patron wants a copy of a document that we will not xerox, we can transcribe it for them for $10.00 an hour with a one hour minimum.

Computer Scanned Documents:

Scanned to USB or Disc: $.50 per scan + $4.00 per disc if needed
Documents scanned and printed on plain paper: $1.00 per page

Computer Scanned Photographs:

on premium photo paper: $15.00 per page
on plain paper: $1.00 per page
onto CD: $.50 per scan + cost of CD($4.00)
Note: Some photos require editing, which will be an additional cost.

Scanning and Printing Oversized Documents: $25.00 (or more) per item

Oral History Tape Duplication: $10.00 each for each audio tape copied.

Research Fee: $25.00 per hour for the first hour, plus $10.00 for each additional hour.

Rarer documents that cannot be copied or scanned may be photographed by camera at the director's discretion: $1.00 per page

The Non-Flash Photography option is used when an item cannot be scanned, copied, or flashed photographed due to its delicate nature. Patrons are not permitted to take digital images of items in our holdings. This service will be provided by the Center.  Prices for these items will vary, depending on the size of the item and the editing required.