There is important information you need to know when accessing our special collections.

Records for much of the Rare Books Collection are in our catalogue, but if you do not find the item you are looking for, please ask for help: the item may not yet be catalogued, or an alternative version may be available

How to find and use items in the Manuscripts collection.

How to find and use items in the Maps Collection.

A guide to requesting, accessing and publishing collection items in the Oral History and Folklore Collection.

How to find and use items in the Pictures collection.

Our Music collection contains over 300,000 musical scores and the largest collection of music research resources in Australia.

Our rich and varied Pictures collection focuses on Australian people, places and events, from early European exploration of the South Pacific to contemporary events.

We have been selectively collecting Australian printed ephemera since the early 1960s so we can tell the story of Australian life, culture, and major events and issues.

Our Manuscripts collections are wide ranging and provide rich evidence of the lives and activities of Australians who have shaped our society.