Leeds University Library’s Special Collections is the home of hundreds of thousands of rare books, manuscripts, archives and art. Our collections offer a rich resource for staff, students, and the wider research community.
Our research centre has undergone significant improvements and you can now book to visit and consult material in the newly refurbished Brotherton Research Centre. Learn more about how to plan and book your visit.
From mid-April until the early Autumn, Special Collections will be undertaking a major refurbishment and reorganisation of some of its stores. Many collections will be moving into temporary storage and will be unavailable, and there may be periods when noisy work and disruption mean the Research Centre has to close. Please check the latest situation with the Research Centre team when making a booking.
Search the catalogue to find items of interest. Then you can order copies or add items to your basket to book an in-person visit or a virtual consultation.
Digitised parts of the collection are available online and can be searched, browsed and filtered through our advanced search.
We are pleased to consider offers of gifts of books, manuscripts, and objects. Please see our guidance on donating.
You can also contact us with any enquiries.