Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation

| All Hours

University To Receive Louise Slaughter Congressional Collection
The family of Louise and Bob Slaughter is donating the Honorable Louise Slaughter’s official Congressional papers to the University of Rochester. The River Campus Libraries’ Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation will house, archive, and make available the Louise M. Slaughter Congressional Collection in the coming years. More…

Joseph C. Wilson Papers Available for Research
The Wilson Foundation recently made a $25,000 gift to the River Campus Libraries’ Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, making it possible to process and preserve the papers of Xerox Corporation founder Joseph Wilson ’31 and make a portion of them available online to students, historians, and others. Read the news release, use the finding aid, and view the online exhibit.

Online: Digitizing Douglass

In honor of Frederick Douglass’s 200^th birthday, and in conjunction with his being awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Rochester, we have used digital technology and vast expertise here at the University, to bring this bust of Frederick Douglass into the 21st-century and to the world through 3-D imaging. More...

NEW: RBSCP / ROBBINS BLOG
Read all about it! We are pleased to introduce our new blog, with information from RBSCP, the Robbins Library, and the University Archives.

Exhibition: To Reach our Farthest Star: Leadership at the University of Rochester, 1850-2019
As the University prepares to inaugurate Sarah Mangelsdorf as its eleventh president, this exhibit will highlight the work of her predecessors in creating and transforming the intellectual, physical, and cultural foundations of the university we have today.... read more

Rare Book Collections Printed books, journals and pamphlets from 1472 to the present.	Online Projects and Publications Lincoln and his Circle, Frederick Douglass Project, Online Exhibits, Undergraduate Student Projects.
Manuscript and Special Collections Letters, diaries, architectural drawings, maps, prints, photographs and more.	Databases for Manuscript, Book and Print Collections
University Archives Manuscript and printed materials about the history of the University of Rochester.	Preservation Program Information about our Preservation and Conservation programs, Disaster Manual, etc.

Access and User Services

Using the Collections
Services for Faculty and Staff
Frequently Asked Questions

Search RBSCP

Library Information

Location, Directions, Accommodations
About the Department
Staff

Collection Development and Management

All researchers should contact us by email or telephone (Monday-Friday) 48 hours before visiting, as some collections are not available for use without an appointment.

Please note: the Reading Room closes 15 minutes prior to the closing of the department; no new material will be made available within a half-hour before closing.

In all cases, the librarians are happy to consult about research questions before you come to use the collections. Please call the department's general phone number (585) 275-4477 or send an email.

For other library hours, please go the central page.