The Shawnee Indian Mission (SIM) Library has compiled a useful vertical file on the history of the Mission site, the people associated with it, the events that occurred there. Included within it are newspaper, magazine and journal articles; research notes; copies of historical documents, reports, letters; photographs and drawings; and other such revealing sources.
In addition to the vertical file the Library also houses a collection of books, maps, and small artifacts.
The Library is open to the public by appointment and may be contacted at SIMLibrary@fairwaykansas.org.
The Vertical files is arranged in five broad categories and the material is foldered in filing cabinets. The finding aids list the folder titles and then items which is akin to a table of contents of the folder. The categories are:
The Civil War folders—relate to the Border warfare and Civil war battles in the area, slavery, and SIM involvement in the conflicts.
The Indian folders—contain data on the various tribes and cultures and other topics.
The Individuals folders—provide biographical and other information on people.
The Places folders—give information on locations (other than SIM).
The Shawnee Indian Mission folders—are included in the largest of the sections providing details about the site and its history.
The Trails folders—detail information about the overland trails that passed by the SIM and had a significant impact upon the region.
