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The Library

LTTH 250: Writing and Theory: Special Collections & Archives

Using Special Collections

Special Collections & Archives house a wide range of rare books, manuscripts, periodicals, maps, photographs, artworks, films, sound recordings, archives, and digital files.

All Special Collections & Archives (SC&A) materials are stored in an environmentally controlled and secured area, and you will register and place requests to either use the materials in person in our reading room, or to have our staff make scans for you. SC&A materials are not eligible for Curbside Pickup, but there may be additional copies of some items , or you may find a digital copy available through Hathi Trust emergency access service.

  1. Register and create your Special Collections Research Account, and log in to your account: https://spcoll-request.ucsd.edu/logon.
  2. Locate SC&A materials in Roger - these will be identified with the location: Special Collections.
    • You will find artists' books, printed catalogs for inSite, and other relevant SC&A materials cataloged in Roger-- there are sometimes additional copies in the 'circulating' collections that you can check out via curbside pickup service.
    • For tips on searching Roger, consult the page "How to Find and Request Special Collections Material
  3. Browse and search our Finding Aids for Manuscripts & Archives holdings, including the personal papers or organizational records documenting various visual arts, music & performing arts, and poetry collections, among other topics,

    Reading Room appointments and Scanning Services during Covid-19

Special Collections & Archives is located on the main floor of Geisel Library

Questions? Email Heather at hsmedberg@ucsd.edu

About the Collections

Encompassing UC San Diego's Mandeville Special Collections, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Archives, and the University Archives, Special Collections & Archives houses a wide range of primary source materials that support UCSD's instructional and research programs, and distinguish UCSD's library collections from all other research universities.

Special Collections focuses on building its collections in concert with UCSD’s academic programs to build comprehensive research collections around specific subjects. Areas of exceptional strength include:

  • Early voyages of exploration and discovery to the Pacific prior to 1850
  • Scientific endeavors in marine sciences, post-1850
  • Spanish Civil War - the largest extant collection on the subject
  • Post-1945 American poetry in the "alternative" tradition, including extensive collections of poets' manuscripts and correspondence
  • History of San Diego, southern California, and Baja California
  • Contemporary science and public policy, including the personal archives of some of the nation's most renowned scientists
  • Culinary history of Mexico, Latin America, and the Pacific Rim
  • Melanesian anthropology
  • The UCSD Archives document the history of the campus

Digitization has made many of UCSD’s special collections more widely accessible. Search or browse the digital library collections here: http://library.ucsd.edu/dc

Arts & Humanities Collection Strategist

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Laura Schwartz
Contact:
Geisel Library
858-534-1267