The Archives Service Center (ASC) is one of the main repositories within the University Library System at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

and houses collections of various

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...

s, media,

map A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...

s, and other materials of

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

, social and

scientific Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

content. It houses and functions as the repository for collections that document and describe the history of the Western Pennsylvania region,

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Allegheny County () is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's second-most populous county, following Philadelphia Co ...

, the city of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, and the University of Pittsburgh.

Overview

Some of the history of

and the

western Pennsylvania Western Pennsylvania is a region in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, covering the western third of the state. Pittsburgh is the region's principal city, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic ...

region has been documented by

primary source In the study of history as an academic discipline, a primary source (also called an original source) is an artifact, document, diary, manuscript, autobiography, recording, or any other source of information that was created at the time under ...

s on manuscripts, books, maps, personal

diaries Diaries may refer to: * the plural of diary *''Diaries: 1971-1976'', a 1981 documentary by Ed Pincus *'' Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years'', a 2006 book by Michael Palin *''OFW Diaries ''OFW Diaries'' is a Philippine television documentary ...

audio recording Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording te ...

photograph A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now create ...

s and other materials from the past. The ASC collects material related to the history of this region. The holdings in the collections span over a hundred years, primarily from the mid-19th century to the late 20th century. Some of the content is digitized and accessible online. Content published before 1923 is in the public domain or the rights belong to the university.

Major collections

Pay car Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Company

Some of ASC's major collections include: * Labor * University Archives * Audio-visual Materials * Politics and Local Politics * 20th Century Urban Renewable * Women's History * Business and Industry * Social Action * Ethnic Groups in Pittsburgh * Civil Rights

Usage

University Archive service center coal mine maps

Often, when the estate of a notable person dies, the family donates historical documents, physical objects, photographs, and other materials that they wish to have preserved. One such donation consisted of the mining maps of Western Pennsylvania. Many of the

coal mining Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

companies are no longer in business and have closed or sold coal mines in the Western Pennsylvania region. These maps were determined to be of historical value and are now housed by the archives. Individuals and organizations that research drilling, '

fracking Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of bedrock formations by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure injection of "frack ...

', the foundations of buildings, roadways and other structures often visit the ASC to examine the maps to establish the safety and accuracy of their projects. The ASC received canvas maps charting the existence, location and status of working coal mines and closed mines. These maps, some as long as 10 meters are stored in a climate controlled section of the archives. The Archive Service center has worked to add content from its collections to Wikipedia.

References

{{Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh Online music and lyrics databases Music libraries History of labor relations in the United States Political history of the United States Digital library projects Online archives of the United States Music organizations based in the United States