Uppsala University Library is one of the few libraries in Sweden that can offer its students and scholars so many valuable and rare special collections.

During the Library's long history great collections of old and new materials have been acquired through donations, war booty, legal deposits and purchases. Special collections can be regarded as part of our cultural heritage which is why they are included here. Early imprints, manuscripts, pictures, maps and music scores also belong to this group. 

Early imprints

We refer to books, journals, newspapers, pamphlets and brochures printed from the mid 15th century and up to and including 1850 as early imprints. In addition there are some special collections that mostly contain early imprints but are continually added to with new publications. They are treated specially either because the material is of a certain kind or that it concerns a specific subject area. 
Read more about early imprints.

Manuscripts

This group includes everything written by hand from the centuries before the time of printed books up to the present day. Medieval manuscripts on parchment, historical documents as well as entire archives and collections of correspondence from modern writers and cultural celebrities can be found in the manuscript collections.
Read more about manuscripts.

Pictures

Here you can find engravings and lithographs, drawings, postcards, photographs and printed charts from olden times to the modern day. The motifs are principally portraits, topographical views and historical events.
Read more about pictures.

Maps

The cultural heritage collections include both Swedish and foreign maps from the late Middle Ages to modern publications, both in print and drawn by hand. 
Read more about maps.

Music scores

There are both printed and handwritten scores from the Middle Ages to our own times. The legal deposits received by the Library ensure that there continues to be a complete collection of the entire Swedish production of music scores. 
Read more about music scores.