For the first time in over fifty years, one of CWRU’s oldest collections is back on display. The Kelvin Smith Library Special Collections Coin Collection holds over three hundred coins spanning 600 years of ancient history, and a small group of historic coins from the modern era. Ancient Antioch to Contemporary Cleveland reintroduces the collection through the coins of the ancient city of Antioch and their journeys to Cleveland in the 19th century. On view now in the Henry R. Hatch Reading Room, located on the second floor.
The Freedman Center has been relaunched with a new space, new services, and new equipment. Click the link to learn more about the Center.
Celebrating CWRU's 200th Birthday!
In 2026, we celebrate CWRU's 200th birthday. For the 150th birthday, or sesquicentennial celebration of the founding of Western Reserve College in 1826, CWRU created heraldic banners representing CWRU's schools from its past. Nine of these have been replicated and are on display in the central staircase of Kelvin Smith Library.
Highlights
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March 31, 2026For the first time in more than 50 years, one of CWRU’s oldest collections is now on view.The Ancient Coin Collection, which features about 300 bronze and silver coins dating mostly from the second to fourth centuries, is receiving new scholarly attention through an ongoing research and… -
March 31, 2026This spring, Kelvin Smith Library is proud to announce the acquisition of the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) Archive. The comprehensive collection functions as the festival's institutional memory, documenting its growth from a 1977 subscription series into a premier international… -
March 17, 2026The Freedman Fellows Program is now accepting applications from Case Western Reserve University faculty, instructors and researchers in any discipline for the 2026—27 academic year. This program, administered and supported by Kelvin Smith Library, has provided more than $290,000 in targeted funding…