All Library Hours
Using the Library
LSC is located on the A level of the Charles E. Young Research Library (YRL). Access LSC by taking the stairs or elevators down one level from the lobby. The closest parking lots are Structures 3 and 5. Visit UCLA Transportation for more information on how to visit the library.
Hours
Spaces
Services & Resources
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UCLA Library Special Collections FAQ
Frequently asked questions about how to access and use Library Special Collections materials. - help
Teaching with Library Special Collections
We can work with you to create active engagement with LSC materials and embed primary source literacy into your curriculum. - help
Library Special Collections e-Delivery and Duplication
Learn how to access Library Special Collections materials digitally from anywhere in the world. - default
UCLA Library Special Collections Research Guides
Use our subject guides to browse Library Special Collections materials by discipline. - help
Library Special Collections Exhibition Lending
UCLA Library Special Collections (LSC) lends items for exhibition to museums and cultural heritage sites worldwide. Read on for more information about how to request a loan to your institution. - help
Library Special Collections Digital Project Toolkit
Check out our detailed templates, workflows and examples to support all stages of digital projects managed in special collection libraries.
More Information
Programs
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Center for Primary Research and Training
Learn how the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT) pairs scholars with UCLA Library Special Collections projects that match their passions and interests. - about
UCLA Library Center for Oral History Research
UCLA's Center for Oral History Research collects oral history interviews related to the history the Los Angeles metropolitan region and Southern California on the whole. - about
University Archives
University Archives, a division of UCLA Library Special Collections, is the official repository for non-current UCLA records. - about
UCLA Library Special Collections Research Fellowships Program
The Library provides fellowships for on-site graduate-level, post-doctoral or independent research with our unique holdings.
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. - default
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. - default
Online Archive of California (OAC)
OAC provides access to descriptions of more than 300 California institutions’ archives and primary resource collections, including UCLA Library. - default
The Visual History of UCLA
...as told through 10,000+ images from UCLA Library University Archives. - default
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
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Library Special Collections Development Strategy and Policies
The nature of stewarding special collections holdings requires UCLA Library Special Collections to be selective in what we acquire and make available for research. - about
Library Special Collections Content Advisory Policy
UCLA Library Special Collections staff are engaged in addressing and contextualizing collections that may include harmful content. - about
Report Problematic Content and Description in UCLA's Library Collections and Archives
We invite you to submit feedback about materials that would benefit from additional context, how our collections are described and how they could be described more accurately. - about
Toward Ethical and Inclusive Descriptive Practices in Library Special Collections
UCLA Library Special Collections is committed to remediating harmful description by creating and implementing an anti-oppressive approach to discovery and access.
Access and Use Policies
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Library Special Collections Conditions of Use Policy
Policies regarding the conditions of use of UCLA Library Special Collections (LSC) materials, including our policies for patrons with disabilities. - about
Library Special Collections Policy for Reading Room Use
Policy for using UCLA Library Special Collections materials in the Ahmanson-Murphy Reading Room. - about
Library Special Collections Policy on Accessing AV Materials
Policy on accessing AV materials in UCLA Library Special Collections. - about
Library Special Collections Policy on Accessing Born-Digital Formats
UCLA Library Special Collections (LSC) policy on accessing born-digital formats in our collections. - about
Access to Unprocessed Library Special Collections Policy
Learn about the different levels of discovery and access to Library Special Collections materials. - about
Library Special Collections Duplication Policy
UCLA Library Special Collections (LSC) duplication 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.