Special Collections Summer Project
In collaboration with the Office of Undergraduate Research, the LSU Special Collections Library offers undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct a summer research or creative project using the resources and materials held within LSU's Special Collections at Hill Memorial Library.
Special Collections is home to resources such as the Louisiana & Lower Mississippi Valley Collections, Rare Book Collections, University Archives, T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History, Louisiana Newspapers archives, and more. Special Collections Summer Project students are mentored by an archivist or librarian.
Students accepted to the program can earn up to $3,000 in wages for hours worked on the project.
In 2026, LSU will commemorate the 100th anniversary of its campus. To mark this milestone in our university's history, the Special Collections library has proposed two centennial-related projects for students during the summer of 2025. Students will use the university archives and other resources within Special Collections, offering students a unique opportunity to engage with LSU's rich history. See below for project details.
Applicant information
Giving Day is LSU's annual fundraising event. LSU alumni, students, parents, friends, faculty, and staff come together each year for this day-long online "event" that engages LSU supporters in making contributions of $5 or more to the fund(s) they are most passionate about supporting.
For Giving Day 2025, LSU OUR is raising funds for student participation in the Special Collections Summer Project.
Our goal is to raise $3,000 to fully fund one student's participation in the summer program.
The generous support we receive during this fundraising effort will contribute to honoring the LSU campus centennial in 2026!
Instructions on donating to our fund are coming soon. For now, visit givingday.lsu.edu and save the date for March 19, 2025.
Past Recipients:
| Name | Major | Mentor | Research |
| Charlotte Balart | English | Kelly Larson | Archives Teaching Tool: The Nancy Pinson Papers |
| Bryce Edwards | History | Jennifer Cramer | 20 Years in the Middle East: The Veteran's Experience Through Oral History |
| Name | Major | Mentor | Research |
| Nathaniel Dela Pena | History | Zach Tompkins | LSU History walking tour app |
| Madison Saucier | History | Alia Kempton | Confronting the History of LSU's Land: Arlington Plantation |
Leadership Team
Gina Costello, Associate Dean, Technology Initiatives & Special Collections
Kelly Larson, Special Collections Head of Research & Public Services
Brandon Layton, Special Collections Digital Engagement and Pedagogy Librarian
John Miles, Special Collections Curator of Books & Head of Instruction
Zach Tompkins, Special Collections University Archivist
Sarah Ferstel, Director, LSU Office of Undergraduate Research