Virtual Tour Transcripts

Rare Book Room

Welcome to the Rare Book Room, one of the treasures of our Archives and Special Collections - the University’s repository of close to 300,000 rare and significant books, music, maps, prints and East Asian materials spanning from the 11^th century to the present day.

Because of their age, fragility and value, our collections are housed in special conditions, so that we can ensure their care and preservation. While you can make an appointment to view individual items in person in our Reading Room in the Baillieu Library, this tour behind the scenes is the first time we have been able to open up this collection space to the general public.

Rare Books Collection

The Rare Books collection is vast, with subject matter that crosses the arts, humanities and sciences. It incorporates books, journals, artworks and ephemera, including early manuscripts and printed materials from Europe, the Middle East and Asia; the Greek and Roman classics; and rare and important editions of noted authors – to name a very few examples.

The Rare Books collection holds around 350 artists’ books along with reference materials and items exploring the study of design. While the majority of these are Australian made, with many created by Melbourne artists, we also hold a small collection of significant books by European Modernists.

Rare Music Collection

Rare Music began to take shape as a separate special collection early this century when music cataloguing staff began to identify and separate rare and valuable items from the Music Library open shelves and in storerooms. The strengths of our Rare Music collection are in 17th and 18th century French music. There are over 13,000 items currently in the collection—most are print and manuscript notated music, and books about music and related fields. We also have small and large archival collections—many rich with photographs and memorabilia.

Print Collection

Our collection of more than 9,000 prints focuses on the old master period of Western printmaking, which encompasses the work of German, Italian, Dutch, French, British and Flemish artists and engravers from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries. Most of our prints are stored unframed, so you can see details like way the ink lies on the paper, inscriptions, or other markings, or see the quality of the paper itself.

East Asian Collection

Spanning materials from both China and Japan, our Rare East Asian Collection holds more than 20,000 items. Many of these are the only copy of a work held in an Australian library, and some represent the only copy left in the world. The earliest items date back to mid seventeenth century China, but the collection traces the cultural output of both countries, including medicine, religion, history, the artist, linguistics, gender studies, and politics. Of note are materials related to major historical events and periods such as China’s Cultural Revolution and Japan’s Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.

Rare and Historical Maps Collection

Our Rare and Historical Maps Collection comprises approximately 8,000 individual sheets and 130 atlases including world maps dating from the 15th century, and some of the earliest cartographic works by explorers of Australasia and other regions, in particular materials relating to the development of Victoria and Melbourne. The collection includes significant early projections of the world along with rare maps, charts and plans exploring Asia Minor, the Middle East and Constantinople.