Many students have passed by the dancing John Travolta cut-out cheerfully directing folks towards the “DISCO” space while in the library. However, whether it’s because they have their nose stuck in their Biology textbook or they are rushing to secure a coveted study room, they don’t know what Travolta is actually pointing to. 

“DISCO” stands for the Southwestern’s Distinctive Collections and Archives. Over the years, it has evolved from what began as one small room in the library in 1939 to a multi-level “Tower of Reading.” Its walls are filled with over 20,000 rare books, artifacts, and more. The dozens of shelves within its halls are simply waiting to be used. 

Megan Firestone, the Head of Distinctive Collections and Archives, encourages students and faculty to explore and utilize the resources available inside. DISCO is unique in that, unlike similar institutions, visitors can actually interact with the wide variety of rare artifacts and books that the space offers. This includes pieces of local history, religious texts over a millennium old, and so much more. Such interaction can aid in students’ learning and understanding of their classes, while also providing valuable experience for their future educational endeavors. 

Once visitors shimmy past John Travolta, they enter the polished entrance of DISCO and its newly improved walls. Over the summer, the Distinctive Collections section of the library underwent heavy renovations. Construction stretched from March to July 2024, targeting repairs to the space’s interior walls, enhancing the walls, and replacing the air conditioning inside to ensure all of its materials were properly maintained. Additionally, the building was also relevelled due to the shifts in its foundation. These renovations were necessary in order to preserve the unique items within its walls. As students enter the building, they may notice that its towering windows are decorated in thin, vinyl sheets. These are meant to protect the books from the sun while also forming a unique picture, each one a different image from one of their collections. 

While exploring the various items that DISCO has to offer, visitors might also encounter some of the building’s student workers, such as J’Lisa Chambers. Chambers, ‘28, has worked in Distinctive Collections since the beginning of the school year. She is considering pursuing a career in the library science field, and says that working in DISCO has given her a lot of valuable experience in that journey. She also appreciates how unique it is: “Even though it’s a part of the library, [DISCO] is kind of its own thing. It’s the best of both worlds, part library and part archive.” 

In general, she enjoys the environment and the people in it. “It’s never the same day,” she says. “We’re always doing something different.” Chambers describes that one day she only learned about the Lady’s Annex, which was the first building and first women’s dorm on campus. Furthermore, the staff is “so kind and flexible. They care for me beyond just being an employee or a student.” Outside of being an employee, though, she believes that “[DISCO] is useful for actual academic research and also personal interest.” She continues, “I think a lot of people know about DISCO and some people do utilize it, but not a lot.” She believes that many students might find the idea of going too daunting or intimidating, but they shouldn’t. “The staff here is really supportive and excited to help, and they’re qualified to help in research…It’s important to have archives so we have the history to look back on. Archives allow us to rediscover things that were once lost and keep them alive,” she states.

Chambers is also the Social Chair of NIA on campus, a student organization meant to support and uplift Black women at Southwestern. She goes on to describe the process that went into creating–or rather reviving–the club. “NIA used to be an organization on campus back in the day, but it got disbanded.” She describes the effort that went into revamping the organization into something new while still respecting its past. This tie between history and the present is exactly what makes DISCO so special. The Distinctive Collections strives to preserve the history of any new organizations like NIA for this reason. They aid in the commemoration and preservation of campus organizations, clubs, and Greek life. A few weeks ago,  Alpha Phi Omega (APO) donated a set of scrapbooks and photos from their fraternity. The staff takes these items and archives them in their collections, allowing future members to look back on these pieces of their history. 

DISCO also hosts a variety of events for students, staff, and classes. They most recently hosted a session for Dr. Berroth’s Intergenerational Communication class in which students wrote letters to their future selves using typewriters, pens, and even quills. These letters were then sealed in the archives and will remain so until their 25-year class reunion. Such events allow students to interact with history in unexpected yet meaningful ways. 
All of these opportunities are what make DISCO so distinctive, and the resources they provide are available for students and staff to take advantage of. The DISCO staff is ready and eager to help in any way. All you need to do is ask!