The Campbell Room’s local history collection contains a concentration of material pertaining to the history of Salina and Saline County.
Local History
Researchers will find:
- Salina-Saline County directories
- Biographical files on Saline County residents
- Indexes on births, deaths, and marriages before 1900 (extracted from local papers)
- Oral history tapes
- Large photographic collection
- Salina and Saline County newspapers on microfilm
- Kansas Census on microfilm (1855-1925)
- Federal Census online
- Access to Newspaper Archives
- Maps
- Microfilm from other counties in Kansas and from other states for in-house use may be requested through Interlibrary Loan.
The Campbell Room of local history is open to the public. Materials must be used in the library; however, many duplicate volumes are available for circulation. Schoolchildren may use the collection under the supervision of their instructors, parents, or librarians.
Limited research for out-of-town patrons can be done by a staff person if exact names and dates are supplied. Mail (301 W. Elm, Salina, KS 67401), email (ask4info@salinapublic.org) and telephone (785-833-9213) requests concerning the local history collection are welcome.
Salina Public Library Digital Archive
Salina Public Library Digital Archive includes some of the oldest images ranging from the late 1800s to early 1900s from the collection of over 5,000 historic photos housed in the Campbell Room of local history.
Salina Public Library has recorded and archived nontraditional, personal, oral histories from residents of Saline County.
“StoryCatchers: Recording the Stories of Our Community” is inspired by StoryCorps, a national oral history project. Equipment for StoryCatchers was purchased with a grant from the Earl Bane Foundation. Interviews were recorded using digital audio equipment. Interviews were conducted as a conversation in which the interviewee is asked questions by someone they already know.
Smoky Hill Museum was a partner in this project.