Special collections

Read more about our Special collections:
A selection of works and collections
Digital collections
Special Collections on Instagram
Exhibitions

How to use the Special collections

Uppsala University Library can offer students and researchers very valuable and rare special collections. During the long history of the Library, large collections have been built up through donations, spoils of war, duty deliveries and purchases. The special collections are today considered as cultural heritage, which includes old prints, manuscripts, images, maps and musicalia. Thanks to requests for digital copies, more and more materials are being digitised and available online. Before you make a request, search for the materials in Alvin – platform for digital collections and digitised cultural heritage.

Materials printed before 1850 or that are a part of our Special collections, such as manuscripts, pictures and maps, may only be studied in the Special Collections Reading Rooms. Please plan your visit so that we may help you in best way possible.

Here you find a digital "reference library":

New exhibition at the University Library

Welcome to a new exhibition and an entirely new exhibition hall at the University Library, Carolina Rediviva.

The exhibition contains the famous Codex argenteus, as well as the earliest reasonably accurate map of the Nordic countries, the Carta Marina, and the hand-drawn map of the city of Mexico from the middle of the sixteenth century.

The library also has temporary exhibitions on the history of the Carolina Rediviva building and on the donation by Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie in 1669, when the Codex argenteus and other important works were given to the Library.

Codex argenteus

Codex argenteus will not be on display during the renovation of the exhibition hall at Carolina Rediviva. The exhibition reopens 14 June 2019 at 14.30.
Codex argenteus - which means "the Silver Book" - is Sweden's most valuable book and one of the world's most famous manuscripts. It was written in Italy in the beginning of the 6th century. Learn more about Codex argenteus.

Browse Codex argenteus

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