University of Adelaide Library Special Collections
Special Collections houses the Library’s most valuable and vulnerable publications, including old and rare books and fine and limited editions; University of Adelaide publications; and the specialist Pacific and Theatre collections. Particular strengths and collecting interests of the rare book collections include 19th century British and Australian literature, Australiana, natural history, South Australian (including indigenous Australian) history and culture, Pacific voyages, the history of the book, printing and book collecting, and crime fiction.
Special Collections also has responsibility for the collection and preservation of manuscripts and the personal papers of members of the University community (particularly academic staff), and acquires some collections of personal and institutional papers relating to its particular research strengths in Pacific and indigenous Australian history and language, British and Australian theatre, and the history of the University.
Some material from the collection (such as theses and recent publications) may be copied. However, in order to protect and preserve valuable materials it will not usually be possible to make photocopies of manuscripts or rare books. Arrangements for reproduction of such material by scanning or photographic means may be possible.
All copying and further reproduction (including publication) is covered by the provisions of the Copyright Act and by any particular conditions relating to individual manuscripts and archival collections.
Access to the manuscript and archival collections is by application. These collections are covered by formal access conditions and some collections and parts of collections have additional restrictions imposed by the donors.