Las Vegas has long pervaded the American imagination with images of Elvis, showgirls, gambling, and nonstop neon. Its reputation as 'Sin City' has attracted millions of tourists in the seven decades since gaming was legalized in Nevada. And, in recent years, its ranking as one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States has prompted scholarly inquiry into its status as a phenomenon of urban development. Much of this material can be found in the special collections department of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas Libraries, which is charged with documenting the city's social, cultural, political, and physical history. Originally established in 1967 within the then Nevada Southern University library, the department was the first central repository for historical documents in southern Nevada. Early collection efforts were directed toward assembling material on the area's history (especially the pioneer figures of early Las Vegas), gambling, and culinary arts (with the latter supporting the university's College of Hotel Administration). Local history is also well represented in the personal papers and records of early residents, businesses, and civic organizations that shaped the city in the days when Las Vegas was an unassuming desert town with a population of less than 5,000.