The West Central Minnesota Historical Research Center (WCMHRC) is one of the library’s special collections located in the archives on the fourth floor of Briggs Library. It was established in 1971 under funding provided by the Minnesota Historical Society and contains materials from the greater west central Minnesota region. Counties represented in the collection include: Big Stone, Chippewa, Douglas, Grant, Pope, Stevens, Swift, and Traverse. Materials include oral histories, business and cooperative records, personal papers, rural school records, and government and institutional documents.
The library welcomes users from the eight counties specifically included in the designated area as well as any one else researching local history of west central Minnesota. Materials do not circulate but scanners are available.