Slavic, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies

The Archive of Czechs and Slovaks Abroad (ACASA) consists of several thousand books, brochures, periodicals, anniversary publications, almanacs, and personal papers of Czechs and Slovaks who have lived outside of Czechoslovakia for some portion of their lives.

ACASA is separated into two sections -- rare books and manuscripts. Although currently, there are some rare books in the manuscript collection. Many of the rare books are listed in Esther Jerabek's Czechs and Slovaks in North America: a bibliography.

To arrange a visit you will need to contact the curator of the collection who can give you guidance about making the most of the trip. The items are housed off-campus, so currently all visits requiring materials from the manuscripts inventory require at least two weeks notice. Generally, we can accommodate a Monday-Friday schedule from 9:30 - 5:30.

Rare books in the Special Collections Research Center can be requested through their policies. You will need to make an appointment to use the SCRC reading room and use their ordering system to request the books.

Most of the books in the ACASA collection are cataloged and available through the catalog. Use the "location" search and filter to "SCRC ACASA." These books are also listed in "Inventory II" linked here.

Periodicals are located in Series II and Series IV of the ACASA Manuscript Inventory. There is also an older list of the contents which has some inaccuracies. To request materials from the periodical checklist, please consult the inventory for the box number.

The "manuscript" inventory covers a wide variety of items beyond manuscripts, including some printed materials such as books and brochures. There are also microfilm reels, photographs, and many other types of materials. Use ctrl+F to search the PDF linked below for items. There are frequently spelling variations, so try searching with and without diacritics.

The inventory is divided into five "series." I, III, and V are personal and organizational papers and materials, while II and IV are periodicals.