Special Collections

Special Collections are one part of the larger group of Cultural 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.

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.

These collections can be accessed via the:

Reading Room


For book orders or digitising (copies) go to the Reading Room.

  • Manager

    Lauren Ellis
    Program Manager, Curation and Innovation
    Level 1, Baillieu Library
    The University of Melbourne,
    Victoria 3010 Australia  
    E: lauren.ellis@unimelb.edu.au

  • Rare Books

    Susan Millard Curator, Rare Books 
    Tel: (03) 8344-6636
    Email: smillard@unimelb.edu.au

    Postal 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.au

    Postal address
    Level 1, Baillieu Library
    The University of Melbourne
    Victoria 3010
    Australia

  • Rare Music

    Jennifer Hill Curator, Rare Music
    9035-8671
    hillj@unimelb.edu.au

    Postal address
    Level 1, Baillieu Library
    The University of Melbourne
    Victoria 3010
    Australia