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The Special and Rare Materials Collection is part of the Resources and Access Unit (Special Collections Section) of the University Library, and is located on the 5th floor of the Morris Miller Library. Quaker and Royal Society book and serial collections are located in open shelves but rare materials and archival materials are housed in the Archives office at the end of the book stacks. The Special Collections Librarian's office is located directly outside the Archives Office.
There are also small collections of rare materials in the Art Library and the Music Library. (eg. Stewart Challender Collection)
The Special and Rare Materials Collection, part of the Resources and Access Unit (Special Collections Section) of the University Library, is the official keeping place for historic archives deposited by various institutions, bodies or families of some other institutions, whose records are of sufficient historical interest to warrant careful preservation and maintenance. It is also the repository for some of the University's older records of a non-official nature.
The Special and Rare Materials collections service is now limited to maintenance of and access provision to, existing collections. The collections no longer accept new material from outside organisations or individuals unless they supplement existing holdings, or form a valuable and related addition to the collections.
The Special/Rare Collection staff are able to undertake limited searches for material for outside users, and access to files and material is available to personal visitors. A staff member is available for visitors during documented opening hours and Reference staff will provide urgent access outside this time. An answering service is available for telephone enquiries which will be dealt with at the earliest available opportunity.
Please contact the Collection Management/Special Collections Librarian (Andrew Parsons, phone 03 6226 2231) or the Special Collections Assistant (Luana Nandan, phone 03 6226 2222) with any queries about access and availability of resources.
The former University archives (i.e. the formal records of the University) are now held at the Archives Office of Tasmania.
The current collections embrace private sector or personal archives and manuscripts, all of which relate to the social, economic, literary, religious and scientific history of Tasmania. Other major collections held include those of the Tasmanian Baptist Church, the Society of Friends, the Friends' School, Quaker deposits and the Royal Society Archives - a fascinating vista of colonial science and technology.
Indexes to archival material (including the old indexes to the formal University Archives which still provides some guide to the contents now transferred to the Archives Office of Tasmania).
Some of the deposits listed above have some restrictions on their use, and on the publication of material using data from them. For this reason access to that archival or manuscript material may require prior permission from the depositor(s). Call us for advice.
Also housed in the Special/Rare materials area are the Morris Miller Library's Rare Book, Quaker Rare Book and Christ College Rare Book collections on Level 5. Rare or valuable items acquired by the Library. Material is listed in the catalogue with the location Morris Miller Rare.
As material in the Rare Books collection is located in the Special/Rare Materials area and can only be used in the Library, you should ask the Library Assistant, Special/Rare Materials, about using these items. This area is normally staffed between 11am-1pm and 2pm and 4pm, Monday toThursday and 10am-12pm, Friday.
Collection codes:- Morris Miller Rare, Morris Miller Quaker Rare, Morris Miller Roy Soc Rare,
Morris Miller College Rare etc
There are small collections of rare materials in the Art Library (Art Rare) the Music Library (Music Rare) and the Law Library (Law Rare).
From Manuscript to Print by Rodney M. Thomson, provides a description of all western manuscripts and early printed books held in the University of Tasmania Library Special and Rare Materials Collection and the State Library of Tasmania collections.
Level 5: Material deposited with the University by the Society of Friends with subsequent additions by the Library. The collection covers all aspects of the Society of Friends, their religion, philosophy, life and thought. All items are listed in the computer catalogue.. Material in this collection is not normally available for loan and should be used in the Library. Some items designated Cent Quaker Rare are located with the Rare Books collection in the Special/Rare collection. Collection code: - Morris Miller Quaker
See also:
Some items from the UTAS Special and Rare collections are available online. There is a continuing project to scan selected letters, diaries, documents, photographs, lantern slides and other materials from the collections into ePrints. See: Online items from the UTAS Special and Rare collections
See also Online exhibitions
Online versions of some UTAS Library exhibitions which have been held in the Morris Miller Library.
