Welcome to the Special Collections LibGuide
Special Collections manages the University Library's collections of unique and rare materials, which include archives, manuscripts, and rare books. Our holdings comprise more than 500 archive and manuscript collections and approximately 50,000 rare books.
Our collections are available for everyone - students, staff and members of the public - to access in our reading room. The collections can also be made available to use in teaching sessions at the university, providing students with a unique opportunity to engage with and interrogate primary sources. In addition, there are several on-campus and digital exhibitions for you to explore, and we also offer a range of exciting outreach and public engagement activities, as well as opportunities for volunteering and work experience.
The collections date between the late thirteenth century and the present day, and cover many different subject areas, with major highlights in international collections relating to the Middle East, as well as substantial collections relating to South-West literature and drama.
Special Collections Enquiries:
Email: libspc@exeter.ac.uk
Phone: 01392 72 2097
Opening Hours: Please see our Visiting Heritage Collections page for details
Website: www.exeter.ac.uk/special-collections/
Digital Collections: specialcollectionsarchive.exeter.ac.uk/collections/
Bluesky: @exeterunispeccoll.bsky.social
Blog: specialcollections.exeter.ac.uk/
General Library Enquiries:
Email: library@exeter.ac.uk
The Ronald Duncan Reading Room is located in the Old Library on the Unviersity of Exeter Streatham Campus. Items ordered from Special Collections and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum are consulted in the Reading Room. The Reading Room is open Monday to Friday, please see our Visiting Heritage Collections page for more details. Readers wishing to access material need to be aware of the following:
University of Exeter LibGuide is licensed under CC BY 4.0
