Special Collections
Special Collections are one part of the larger group of Archives and Special Collections. They comprise the Rare Books collection, the Print collection, the Rare Music collection, the Rare East Asian collection and the Rare Maps collection. Items in these collections are housed in special conditions by reason of their age, value or uniqueness in order to ensure their care and preservation for current and future generations of scholars and researchers and as a record of our cultural history.
Rare Books
Rare Books at the University of Melbourne holds a significant collection of books, journals and ephemera.
Print Collection
One of our most prized treasures and includes some 8,000 prints – mostly etchings, engravings, mezzotints, lithographs, woodcuts and wood engravings.
Rare Music Collection
Rare Music comprises music manuscripts, printed scores, books and archival collections that are rare and in some cases unique.
Teaching & Learning
The University’s Special Collections provide opportunities for enhancing student engagement to achieve outstanding results.
Special Collections are utilised for academic research, object based learning in the delivery of courses, student internships, visiting scholars, public engagement through exhibitions and public programs, community and special interest tours and as resources in academic and public lectures and symposiums. They contribute to the rich fabric of Melbourne’s cultural life through loans to other cultural institutions and involvement in externally held cultural events.
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Meanjin
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Take A Breath
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Somewhere in France
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Libri: six centuries of Italian Books
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Reading Adventures
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From botanical illustrations to research
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Aftershocks
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Radicals, slayers and villains
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Shakespeare 400
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Plotting the Island
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Art on the Page
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Dark imaginings: gothic tales of wonder
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The Universe Looks Down
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Horizon lines
News
Events
These collections can be accessed via the:
Around the University
For book orders or digitising (copies) go to the Reading Room.
By Department
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Manager
Jon Buckingham | Program Manager, Curation and Innovation
T: +61 3 9035 8716 M: +61 408 882 775 E: jon.buckingham@unimelb.edu.auPostal address
Level 1, Baillieu Library
The University of Melbourne,
Victoria 3010 Australia -
Rare Books
Susan Millard Curator, Rare Books
Tel: (03) 8344-6636
Email: smillard@unimelb.edu.auPostal address
Level 1, Baillieu Library
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010
Australia -
Prints
Kerrianne Stone: Curator, Prints
Tel: (03) 8344-9998
Email: kjstone@unimelb.edu.auPostal address
Level 1, Baillieu Library
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010
Australia -
Rare Music
Jennifer Hill Curator, Rare Music
9035-8671
hillj@unimelb.edu.auPostal address
Level 1, Baillieu Library
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010
Australia