Mardi Gras comes early this year (February 17), but even though our Carnival season is shorter, it is no less joyous or exhilarating! We welcome thousands of visitors from across the world to New Orleans, inviting them to share the rich history and culture of our city during this invigorating time. Tulane University Special Collections (TUSC) staff make every effort to offer opportunities for Tulanians and the larger research community to see evidence of this history firsthand—in our reading room, via our social media channels, or through special events like our new pop-up exhibit series We Have THAT?  

In this monthly series, TUSC staff showcases an array of materials from our collections that will surprise and delight you. Our February session was Carnival themed, featuring original float designs, court regalia, ball invitations, vintage throws, and photographs (and yes, there was king cake!). Check out our website for upcoming sessions, as well as details on other events and programs.  

Collections are at the core of our work in TUSC, and I am pleased to share with you our many recent achievements in building, caring for, and making accessible important historical resources. In this edition of our newsletter, you can read about exciting new acquisitions like the papers of New Orleans authors Karen Essex and James Nolan, as well as our ongoing efforts to provide much needed care for established materials in University Archives and rare books. You will also see distinct evidence of how TUSC’s archivists and librarians partner with faculty to employ our collections to enhance teaching and research at Tulane and beyond.  

If you can’t visit us in person, there are many other ways to engage with our services and our collections. TUSC archivists and librarians are here to answer your questions, support, and enhance your research and teaching.