Special collections
Chalmers library has special collections with material on the history of Chalmers and its subject areas.
Chalmeriana - special collection at Chalmers main library
Since 1977, Chalmers' main library has had a special collection of literature about Chalmers. The collection contains both older and newer materials that reflect Chalmers' development over the years. Here is, for example, Pehr Dubb's inaugural speech "Story of Chalmers Handcraft School" from 1829, but also the latest issue of "Chalmers Magasin". In addition, study guides, catalogues, Cortège programs, section magazines, anniversary books, Tofsen, the Chalmers Engineers' Association's catalogues and much more.
The Chalmeriana collection is catalogued and searchable in the search box. The entire collection is for on-site reading only, no home loans of the material can be made. The collection also includes a lot of brochures, lecture notes and photos. These are listed in a local database.
Parts of the Chalmeriana collection are digitized. The cortège programs have been digitized in collaboration with Chalmers Cortège Committé and the programs are available from 1921 onwards via Digital Chalmeriana, where Chalmers Magazine and Chalmers' latest annual report are also available.
Chalmers' central archives, which preserve the university's documents, also contain material about Chalmers and its history. Older archive material is also available at Landsarkivet in Gothenburg.
Contact
If you have questions or want to request material from the Chalmeriana collection, you can contact librarian Ellen Åberg who is responsible for the collection.
Stig Ekelöf's Library - A special collection about electricity history at Chalmers main library
Stig Ekelöf's library, which since 1991 has been one of the special collections at Chalmers' main library, has been created through Professor Stig Ekelöf's systematic collection of books and reprints on electricity and magnetism for more than 40 years. The collection, previously located at the Institute of Electric History, comprises 150 shelf meters with over 6,000 volumes and small prints - original works, facsimile reproductions and copies. The oldest original work is William Gilbert's book from the 17th century on magnetism, in Latin.
In addition to electricity and magnetism, the main subjects in the collection, there are also books in a more general history of technology and science. The collection is catalogued partly on catalogue cards in the library and partly in book form. The latest, "Catalog of Books and Papers in Electricity and Magnetism", was published in 1991 and is much more than "just" a catalogue - in 640 pages the book provides both bibliographic data regarding the collection's content and short biographies of a large number of scientists and engineers. The book is written by Stig Ekelöf.
Stig Ekelöf (1904–1993), professor at the Chalmers University of Technology in the subject of Electrical Engineering and Electrical Measurement Technology 1943-1970, became interested in books in the late 1940s dealing with experiments and theory of electrical and magnetic phenomena. The interest was expanded over the years to include technology history in general and electricity history in particular. During his time as emeritus, after 1970, he devoted much time to expanding his book collection and giving lectures on the subject of Electric History, an activity that inspired the construction of the Work Unit for Technology History, today the Department of Technology Economics and Organization at Chalmers. Stig Ekelöf has also compiled the book Technology for 150 years, which was published at Chalmers University of Technology's 150th anniversary in 1979.
Books from Stig Ekelöf's library can be serached for and ordered via a scanned card catalogue.
Maris - Sea literature
Chalmers Library has a collection of older books and journals in nautical and natural sciences. The collection is called MARIS and contains literature from the 18th century until the beginning of the 20th century. The collection includes "Chapman, Fred. H. af, Architectura Navalis Mercatoria (1768)", a plan work containing ship proportions and drawings (62 pages).
The entire MARIS collection is catalogued and searchable in the search box on the library webpage.
The material is available only by special agreement. Contact the library for more information.
The Architecture Library's Cornell Collection
The Architecture Library at Chalmers has a special collection called the Cornell Collection. It originally comes from the then Department of Theory and History of Architecture and is named after Elias Cornell, professor at the department 1965–1982, who played a major role in its construction.
The collection contains books and journals in architectural theory, architectural history, building history, art history and cultural history.
Elias Cornell (1916-2008) has authored several books; the last - "The Room in Architecture" (1996) - he wrote at the age of 80.
The material in the Cornell collection is entered in the library database and currently comprises over 3000 entries, which corresponds to approximately 105 shelf meters. The entire collection is stored in the Architecture Library's magazine and is available for loan.
For further information, contact the Architecture and Civil Engineering Library.
Chalmers Model Archive
Chalmers Model archive is a collection of unique, mainly historical, architectural models built at Chalmers School of Architecture in various courses from the 1960s until today. Many have had to be withdrawn due to wear and ageing, but about 150 of them remain as physical models and are stored at the School of Architecture. The models in the exhibition will be changed on an annual basis.
Pictures and information about the model chamber's collection as a whole are available via odr.chalmers.se/modellkammaren, which is Chalmers library's open digital service.
Contact
If you want to visit the physical collection and see a special model, contact Tabita Nilsson.
