From Mesopotamia to Montreal, the º£½ÇÉçÇø Libraries' Rare Books and Special Collections is a true discovery library. Looking for Assyrian and Babylonian tablets? Medieval European, Islamic or South Asian manuscripts? Bird books and bug books? Samuel de Champlain, the fur trade, or Stephen Leacock? Guide books, cookbooks, Olympic memorabilia, maps, or puppets? Rare Books and Special Collections is the place to begin your search. The º£½ÇÉçÇø Libraries began collecting rare materials in the 1850s, and through gifts and purchases these holdings have grown into rich and highly diverse research collections.
Our collections are open to both the general public and the scholarly community. All materials must be consulted on site. We welcome the community to visit and discover these collections with regular public events, talks, workshops, and exhibitions.
Our collections actively support the teaching, learning, and research needs of º£½ÇÉçÇø students and faculty from all disciplines, as well as the wider scholarly community. Instructor can contact us to set up a class visit. Competitive research grants are available for visiting scholars in select subject areas.
Read more on the history of the collections in , a º£½ÇÉçÇø Libraries publication. Past publications by the department include Amaze; AMAZE; A º£½ÇÉçÇø A to Z Experience (2021), Many Women, Many Voices (2018), Marginalia, and many blog posts on Visit the Publications page for a full list.
Our work in acquisitions, conservation, teaching, and public programming is supported by donations, endowments, and the work of the Friends of the Libraries.
Collection strengths
Our most significant holdings and collections are described on our collections page. Major collection strengths include art and architecture, Canadiana, natural history, literature, the history of ideas (philosophy and religion), travel and exploration, and the history of the book. A range of artifacts and realia complement the print collections, including five printing presses and a puppet collection.
Our holdings also include the rare collections of the Islamic Studies Library and the Macdonald Campus Library. In many cases, the rare books and special collections in the Marvin Duchow Music Library, the Nahum Gelber Law Library, and the Osler Library of the History of Medicine complement and supplement the holdings of the Rare Books collection.
Not all our materials are listed in the online catalogue. For help locating uncatalogued materials, consult Library staff for research assistance.