Formats in Special Collections

For complete information about using Special Collections materials, see our Accessing Materials & Planning Your Visit page.

Books and Periodicals

The Rare Books component of Special Collections houses more than 175,000 volumes of printed books and periodicals, dating from the 15th to the 21st centuries. These include all Hesburgh Library volumes printed prior to 1830, and tens of thousands of later publications with some claim to rarity. Books and periodicals may be searched in the Hesburgh Libraries catalog. All patrons are advised to contact the department or the appropriate subject specialist at least a day in advance of requests for pre-1501 printed books, as these are held in our vault.

For more information on how to locate these items in Special Collections, visit the guide to Finding Books and Periodicals.

Manuscripts

Special Collections's manuscript holdings range from medieval codices (handwritten books) to collections dating from the late twentieth century. Manuscript collections are typically accessed through finding aids, which describe their contents in greater or lesser detail. All patrons are advised to contact the department or the appropriate subject specialist at least a day in advance of requests for manuscripts and pre-1501 printed books held in our vault.

For more information on how to locate these items in Special Collections, visit the guide to Finding Manuscripts.

Other Materials