Books in Special Collections can be discovered through the search box from the Special Collections and Archives website. If you are using VCU Libraries Search, we recommend that you filter your search to Special Collections and Archives under "Library." The books are shelved in closed stacks, however staff will retrieve books for you to view in the reading room. The items located in Special Collections and Archives cannot be checked out and taken outside the library.
Manuscript Collections include personal papers from individuals significant to local history and archival records from a variety of organizations in Richmond and Central Virginia. In addition to a variety of documents, manuscripts collections can also include materials such scrapbooks, photographs, posters, artifacts, and a range of other items. Each manuscript collection has a corresponding guide, or finding aid, that provides information about its scope and contents. The finding aids for manuscript collections held by VCU can be searched through the search box from the Special Collections and Archives website. Please make sure to click on finding aids. Please consult with Special Collections and Archives staff if you need any assistance using our materials. We would be happy to help you!
Examples of manuscript collections include:
University Archives include a variety of published and unpublished materials that document the history of the university. These include the records of departments and offices, as well as bulletins, course catalogs, and photographs. Search for books and publications OR finding aids for university records by using the search box on the Special Collections and Archives website. Make sure that the button is switched to the VCU Libraries Collection for books and publications, or finding aids for university records. The Commonwealth Times, VCU and MCV yearbooks, the VCU Oral History Archive, and other materials can be found in the VCU Libraries Digital Collection. Please contact Special Collections and Archives staff for assistance.
VCU Libraries Digital Collections are materials primarily from VCU Libraries' Special Collections and Archives, and range in subject matter from postcards of Richmond to medical artifacts. Digital collections are presented in a variety of formats, including images, text, video, and audio.
Examples include:
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