Welcome!

Our collections are available for use by faculty, students, visiting scholars and the general public.

You will find a wealth of research material in our collections. Our special collections include rare books, UCSC and local history resources, photography collections, artists' books, and more. Archives in our collection preserve the records of people and institutions as they lived, worked and carried out their business. These records may include literary works, financial records, meeting minutes, etc., and may be in formats like sound recordings, photographs, and digital files. Notable archives and special collections available at UCSC are noted on the About Our Collection page of this guide. 

Are you new to archival research? Check out our guide: Archives & Archival Research: an introduction for students and emerging researchers at UC Santa Cruz. You'll learn what archives are, where to find them, and how to use them as part of your research process. 

Before You Visit

1. Start by setting up your Aeon account which allows you to reserve material to view and place requests for copies and reproductions.

2. Use Library Search, below, to discover materials on your subject and use the "Special Collections Request Form" link in any record to request it.

3. Search our Digital Collections to find photographs, maps, audio recordings, campus publications and other documents.

4. Take a look at our Researcher Community Agreement and other policies before visiting the Special Collections Reading Room so you will know what to expect. 

Not all resources are readily available. If an item is in offsite storage it can take as long as two weeks to retrieve. We will send you an email confirmation when your material is available to view in the Special Collections & Archives Reading Room. See the Using Our Collections page for more details.

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This Week's Special Collections and Archives Hours

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