Special Collections
Welcome to the Special Collections Department of the University of St Andrews Library.
The Department is home to the Library's collections of rare and early printed books, manuscripts, photographs and the University's institutional archive (muniments). These form a superb resource for research and teaching in a wide variety of disciplines across the arts and science.
Our aims are:
- to preserve and develop the collections in our care
- to make the collections accessible to both academic and public audiences
- to market the Department's services and resources
- to support the Library's strategic mission, and the University's aims of excellence in teaching, learning and research.
The Special Collections Department of the University Library regrets that due to lack of staff we will not be able to open to readers on Saturdays this semester. Additional Reading Room closures during the week will be managed through our booking system, at times which will be selected to inconvenience the minimum number of readers. Reading Room hours will return to normal when staffing levels permit.
Treasures book
Special Collections have produced a book on Treasures of St Andrews University Library, featuring 50 items from the collections, with an article and colour photographs for each one. Click here for more details.