Special Collections holds some 200,000 volumes of books, journals and pamphlets, as well as archival material, that have been placed on 'closed access' by reason of their age, value or uniqueness in order to ensure their long-term care and preservation for future generations of scholars and researchers.
Special Collections material that has been catalogued since 1980 is catalogued on the Library's online catalogue; however, some material catalogued before 1980 may only be accessed on the card catalogue located on the ground floor of the Baillieu Library. A certain proportion of material, such as the archival collections, does not appear on the main Library catalogue but can be located through specialised lists and databases.
Exhibitions - Charles Darwin Bicentenary
Reframing Darwin: Evolution at the Baillieu and Darwin for Kids at the Baillieu Library, 14 August to 1 December.
Exhibition - Journeys and Places: Etchings by Jan van de Velde II
An exhibition drawing on the Baillieu Library Print Collection at the Ian Potter Museum of Art, 5 September 2009 to 17 January 2010.
Forthcoming Exhibition - The Wonder of Don Quixote
A Special Collections exhibition in the Leigh Scott Gallery, Baillieu Library, 8 December 2009 to 9 February 2010.