Research the Dakota Territory era as well as early statehood through the 21st century, family papers, political collections, photographs and oral histories. Local histories as well as the papers of individuals and records of organizations, especially of those Vermillion and environs, are among the strengths of the collections.

The American Indian Research Project (AIRP) of the South Dakota Oral History Center reflects the university’s role in documenting Indigenous histories of the Northern Great Plains and its ongoing efforts to respectfully curate the Native voices and stories found in the AIRP oral histories, the papers of individuals, and records of organizations serving Tribal Nations. The University Libraries is committed to balancing access to these histories with the recognition of tribal sovereignty that includes information and data and thus works closely with the USD Director of Tribal Outreach.

Holding more than 4,800 books, periodicals, pamphlets, and ephemera, the Mahoney Music Collection is one of the most complete collections in the United States pertaining to stringed instruments, particularly the violin family of instruments.

Launched in 2020, the Civil War & Reconstruction Governors of Mississippi (CWRGM) is a digital scholarly edition that provides free online access to over 20,000 historical documents sent to Mississippi's governors during the secession crisis, U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction from 1859-1882.