The University is proud of its large and rich collections of manuscripts, archives and rare books, held by Manuscripts and Special Collections, a part of the University Libraries, Research and Learning Resources (LRLR).
The collections are open to all students and staff, and offer enormous research potential, as well as exciting opportunities for students to see and use original documents during the course of their studies.
Faculty of Arts researchers discuss their research and the importance of the University of Nottingham libraries and special collections.
Our internationally recognised collections include materials from the Middle Ages to the late 20th century over a range of subject areas.
In 2005 some of the largest (Newcastle, Portland, and D.H. Lawrence) were designated as being of outstanding national and international importance by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. The University Library has been actively collecting manuscripts and archives from the 1930s, and there are now over 3 million items in over 600 archive and manuscript collections. There are also special collections of rare books and published works, many of which have overlapping connections with the manuscript collections.
Windows on War: a collaborative project between University of Nottingham researchers, Manuscripts and Special Collections and digital technologies experts.
Collections containing original medieval material
Printed book collections
In addition to caring for its documents, Manuscripts and Special Collections has produced a series of online ‘Research Guidance’ pages giving advice for anyone wishing to consult archive material. Units of particular relevance to Medieval research are
Students and researchers are always welcome to visit the Reading Room to find out more about the collections, and how they can be used.
Material relating to particular subjects can be scattered through the collections and difficult to locate, but the archivists will be glad to respond to enquiries and offer advice
Manuscripts and Special Collections is is located at King's Meadow Campus.
Accessing the Medieval - Research Series
Manuscripts and Special Collections
Research Guidance pages for users of archives
Research spaces and places
The University of Nottingham University Park Campus Nottingham, NG7 2RD
telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 4845 email:medieval@nottingham.ac.uk