WHEN THE SOUTHWESTERN Writers Collection was
founded at the University Library in 1986, its collecting
activities focused on the literature, film, and music of the
region. Several years later Bill Wittliff and Connie Todd
began to collect photographs, and in 1996 the Wittliff
Gallery of Southwestern & Mexican Photography was formally
christened at the Alkek Library.
Although sharing facilities and operating as one
organization within the university, each collection continued
to function separately for the most part in terms of
archival activities, exhibitions, and public programming.
But it became increasingly complicated to explain how
each repository was separate, but not separate in terms of
Southwest focus, administration, and origin.
To convey the composite nature of the collections,
unite them under a common name, and acknowledge the
great and generous contributions of the founding
donors—Bill and his wife Sally—the two counterparts
will now be known as THE WITTLIFF COLLECTIONS.
Where necessary, the names “Southwestern Writers
Collection” and “Southwestern & Mexican Photography
Collection” will be used to refer to the two components of
The Wittliff Collections. We are in the process of changing
all pertinent materials and documents. The former
term “Special Collections” is no longer being used to refer
to The Wittliff Collections, although for now all location
codes in the library catalog will remain the same. Bookmark
our new web address and watch for updates on all our
happenings: http://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu.