Using the Library

Everyone is welcome to research and explore our collections. We are located on the A level of the Charles E. Young Research Library (YRL), one level down from the YRL lobby. The closest parking lots are Structures 3 and 5. Visit UCLA Transportation for more information about parking and directions.

Spaces

Services & Resources

More Information

Programs

Discover Collections

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    UC Library Search

    Locate books, journal articles, course reserves and other content at UCLA, other UC schools and beyond.
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    UCLA Library Digital Collections

    The Digital Library houses UCLA's rare and unique collections online. Users can search and browse high-resolution digitized books, ephemera, images and artifacts.
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    Online Archive of California (OAC)

    OAC provides access to descriptions of more than 300 California institutions’ archives and primary resource collections, including UCLA Library.
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    The Visual History of UCLA

    ...as told through 10,000+ images from UCLA Library University Archives.
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    Calisphere

    The collections in Calisphere have been digitized and contributed by all ten campuses of the University of California and other important libraries, archives, and museums throughout the state.

Collections and Description Policies

Access and Use Policies

About Us

Mission

UCLA Library Special Collections inspires discovery, cultivates knowledge, advances research and preserves cultural heritage to create a distinctive learning environment for the UCLA community and society at large. We welcome researchers to explore our collections of rare books, archives, manuscripts, oral histories and other materials and to utilize our services.

Principles

The following principles demonstrate our commitment to excellence and set the foundation for our culture and actions:

  • Open Access: Support the free exchange of information and ensure all of our holdings can be discovered and used, and reach as wide an audience as possible.
  • Service: Provide expert staff to meet the needs of our users as quickly, effectively and efficiently as possible and to anticipate and address evolving research needs.
  • Collaboration: Partner with colleagues in the UCLA Library, on campus, in our surrounding communities, and in the library and archives profession to build capacity and achieve common goals.
  • Education: Teach others the significance of our cultural heritage and the importance of primary research skills and ensure our holdings are incorporated into all levels of the UCLA curriculum.
  • Innovation: Develop creative, practical and flexible strategies to meet the challenges of the future by harnessing the best new methods and technologies.
  • Leadership: Demonstrate Library Special Collections’s role as fundamental to the mission of the UCLA Library and the university by enacting and broadly promoting our mission and principles.