Special Collections and University Archives is the main repository for rare books, manuscripts, and University Archives on the Vanderbilt University campus. We welcome researchers from around the world to use our collections by appointment in our reading room.
Finding Material
Special Collections and University Archives has a wide variety of online tools that describe our holdings in varying degrees of detail.
- Rare books can be searched and requested using the Library’s Catalog.
- Manuscript collections are described in finding aids and collections guides and can be searched by subject or keyword using our Collections database.
- Some University Archives material is closed to the public, so we ask that you contact us about university-related topics which interest you. We can help you find relevant material for your research.
- Digitized and born-digital items can be found on Vanderbilt University’s JSTOR website. Collections available for research include:
For information on how to request items from our collections, please refer to the Request Materials page.
Primary vs. Secondary Sources
Primary sources include historical and legal documents, eyewitness accounts, speeches, memoirs, results of experiments, statistical data, creative writing, unpublished manuscripts and archives, audio and video recordings, and other documents created at the time an event occurred from people who had a direct connection to it.
Secondary sources are documents created by people removed in time from an historical event, or who were not present when the event happened. Secondary sources may include reactions and opinions of people far removed from the event being studied. Samples of secondary sources include textbooks, biographies, essays, and literary criticism.
Ask Special Collections
If you can’t find the information you need on policies, requesting materials, or specific topics, just ask Special Collections.