Western University Archives and Special Collections

01/29/2026

https://totalbaroque.com/en/neumes-en-13851/?clef=da6677cb-27a4-4991-b246-b2d5b7b77a60

In London, Ontario, the discovery of medieval neumes reveals to researchers a sound world a thousand years old.

12/19/2025

The Holiday season is upon us!

The Reading Room will be closed for the Holidays on Monday December 22 at 4pm, and will reopen on Monday January 5 at 10am.

The photograph below was published in the London Free Press newspaper on Friday December 16, 1954, with the caption:

"Imaginative members of Western's botany department came up with this weirdly attractive "Christmas tree" - a Texas cactus with all the season's trimmings. Pat Osborne, left of Ingersoll is about to hand Barb Woodall, Woodstock a candy cane hidden behind a mass of thorns. Decorations include small laboratory bottles filled with colored water."

12/15/2025

It’s a cold one out there today! Be sure to bundle up if you are coming to campus!

Good luck to those writing exams 😊 we hope you make time to relax and enjoy the snow!

Photograph from The London Free Press Collection of Photographic Negatives, 1954.

12/08/2025

Exams start soon!

Make sure to give yourself lots of time to study and take lots of breaks!

Check out this photograph and caption published in the London Free Press newspaper on April 22, 1954, of Ron Laplante studying with his dog Clancy:

"When a Dog's Life is the Happiest -- Ron Laplante a fourth year journalism student at Western gets a sympathetic look of consolation from 'Clancy' while he pores over a sheaf of notes in a last-minute cram for today's exam.”

12/01/2025

Happy Monday everyone!

There is a dusting of snow on campus this morning, and it won’t be long until we can all participate in fun snowy activities! Check out this photograph of a snowman from The London Free Press Collection of Photographic Negatives, 1954.

11/24/2025

Weldon Library at Western has experienced many transformations throughout the years! The transformation of library retrieval systems from card catalogues to digital workstations is illustrated in these photographs taken at D.B. Weldon Library. The top, from 1973, displays the numerous cabinets used to house the catalogue cards. Beginning in 1985, computer stations made their first appearance!

Photograph from the Way We Were collection.

11/17/2025

It sure is a snowy day on Western’s campus. Everybody stay safe – and watch your step like these people in the photo!

Photograph from the London Free Press Collection of Photographic Negatives, 1954.

11/11/2025

In honour of Remembrance Day we are sharing a list of graduates from Victoria Hospital who served. This list was found in a scrapbook from a recent acquisition from the London Health Sciences Centre.

11/10/2025

Have you heard of the books containing arsenic discovered in Western University’s libraries? They were identified by third year English student Karen Wen, and we are sharing some photos of the books in our collection! They have green covers, and should be handled with gloves.

11/10/2025

Have you heard of the books containing arsenic discovered in Western University’s libraries? They were identified by third year English student Karen Wen, and we are sharing some photos of the books in our collection! They all have green covers, and should be handled with gloves.

For more information, read the article here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/arsenic-poison-books-western-university-9.6966837

11/03/2025

Happy reading week!

P.S. we hope you remembered to turn your clocks back this weekend!

Photograph from The London Free Press Collection of Photographic Negatives, 1955.

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween!

Did you know that we have many monster themed comic books in our collection? Perfect for Halloween and comic book fans. Many of the comics include popular figures, like Frankenstein's monster and Dracula!