Special Collections

Photograph of a Wasatch Mountain Club member in the Uintah Mountains. -See More

Among the most diverse and valuable holdings in the University of Utah Libraries are those held in the Special Collections Department, located on the fifth floor of the Marriott Library. The department collects and preserves materials that require unusual care or special attention to their acquisition processing, and patron use. The department's mission statement is to acquire and make available books, periodicals, documents, photographs, films, and original materials documenting the history of Utah, the Mormons, and the West, with the addition of the Middle East and the University of Utah itself.

Special Collections is made up of the following divisions: Manuscripts, Western Americana, Rare Books, Middle East, and University Archives and Records Management. The department's collections are accessible primarily through the library's on-line computer system. Special indexes and collection guides are also available. Special Collections holdings do not circulate, often because of the rarity or value of the item, but primarily to ensure that researchers will have ready access to them. Exceptions to this rule can be learned by contacting the appropriate reference desk. Professional librarians and archivists are present to assist users.

Policies & Procedures