University of Leeds Special Collections
Address
Phone
Mandates/Sources of Authority
The Library Regulations have been approved by the University authorities, with the aim of giving all Library users the opportunity to make the fullest use of one of the University's most valuable resources, a Library of over 2.8 million books and other items, with more than 40,000 members.
Records Management and Collecting Policies
https://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/download/144/collections_strategy
Special Collections acquire archives by donation, bequest, purchase, deposit and transfer. It favours donation and bequest.
The University Library’s reputation for holding rare books, manuscripts and archives of outstanding interest was established in 1936 when the private library created by Lord Brotherton of Wakefield (1856-1930) was presented to the University. Since then, the University Library’s Special Collections have grown substantially and encompass a number of distinct personal libraries and Repositories. The resources of Leeds University Library Special Collections are amongst the most extensive and varied of their kind in any UK academic library and include five collections which have been designated through the scheme administered by Arts Council England as of national and international distinction. The form and content of materials selected for Special Collections provide documentary evidence relevant to a wide range of disciplines including history, world literature, cultures and science. Existing collections are developed through the acquisition of additional material. New themes of collecting are developed in response to the changing trends in scholarship and to support the reinterpretation of existing collections. We regularly collaborate with donors and depositors, developing collections relevant to them. We create networks of collections, one strengthening others. We acquire exceptional works that mark profound changes in society. Collections are geographically diverse but special consideration is given to association with Yorkshire and Leeds. Association with the University of Leeds is significant in assessment.
Building(s)
There are four libraries on campus providing a range of study environments, including flexible group study areas and silent individual study spaces.
You can visit Special Collections in the Brotherton Library to view items in person. You can search our collections online. You can view the images of the many items that are digitised.
The architects of the Brotherton Library were Lanchester, Lucas and Lodge, who submitted the winning designs for a new campus as part of the University's Architectural Prize Scheme of 1927. The library was funded entirely by a hugely successful local industrialist and equally far-sighted philanthropist, Lord Brotherton of Wakefield. Sadly, he did not live to see the Brotherton Library's opening in 1936.
Outwardly an unadorned redbrick building, the Brotherton Library was always intended to lie behind an imposing University frontage. This materialised in the form of the Parkinson Building, which opened in 1951.
The Brotherton's round, domed reading room was deliberately modelled on that of the British Museum, but, with Yorkshire bravura, a slightly increased diameter ensured that it was larger than the southern original.
Above the reading room entrance, carved in oak, sits the University's coat of arms. It features a book inscribed with the University's motto: "et augebitur scientia" – "and knowledge will be increased".
In 1993, every book in the Brotherton was moved to allow readers into the new West Building extension (formal opening in 1995).
Archival and Other Holdings
Leeds University Library’s Special Collections is the home of hundreds of thousands of rare books, manuscripts, archives and art. Our collections offer a rich resource for staff, students, and the wider research community.
Opening Times
The Brotherton Library is accessed from the Parkinson Building. The door is open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Outside of those hours, you can access by swiping your membership card in the card reader to the left of the entrance, or by pressing the buzzer.
Conditions of Access
External readers are required to register on their first visit with identification showing their name, address and signature.
Accessibility
The Library has a wheelchair-height gate at the entrance outside the School of Chemistry. An accessible lift is available in the building. All libraries have extensive computer facilities and wi-fi throughout for your devices and laptops.
Research Services
The Special Collections Research Centre is open to a limited number of researchers for in-person visits.
Special Collections is the home of hundreds of thousands of rare books, manuscripts, archives and art. Our collections offer a rich resource for staff, students and the wider research community. The Special Collections Research Centre is on level 4 of the Brotherton Library, on the upper floor of the main reading room.
Reproduction Services
Virtual consultations and a quick photo service are available to University of Leeds researchers.