Most special collections and archives are open only by appointment, with varying levels of advance notice required. Please contact us to confirm the availability of the materials you're interested in prior to visiting.
Archives & Special Collections at Rutgers Libraries
Searching our collections
Every division of the libraries houses collections of rare or unique materials. These range from rare books and manuscripts to musical instruments, yearbooks, ephemera, and much more.
Most of our manuscript and archival collections have finding aids (also called collection guides or inventories). These are descriptions of a collection's contents. The format and level of description varies, ranging from summary descriptions to detailed inventories.
- Most finding aids and collection descriptions are listed in QuickSearch
- An increasing number of online finding aids from across our collections are searchable in ArchivesSpace
- Some collections are described in on-site resources such as card catalogs, printed finding aids, and checklists
Contact us for assistance or to inquire about collections not yet represented online.
Manuscript lead sheet to Mary Lou Williams' "What's Your Story, Morning Glory," ca. 1978, from the Institute of Jazz Studies
Home to the largest, most comprehensive collection of New Jersey materials in the state, SCUA is a rich resource for research on both New Jersey and Rutgers history. The collections include rare books, manuscripts, maps, photographs, prints, genealogical resources, newspapers, ephemera, and much more.
Recognized as the world’s leading jazz archives, IJS serves a diverse and worldwide constituency of scholars, students at all levels, musicians, members of the Newark community, and arts organizations. IJS is located inside Dana Library on the Rutgers–Newark Campus.
Formally established in 2019, this collection documents the legacies of the Rutgers—Newark campus and its impact as an anchor institution in the city of Newark.
The only repository entirely devoted to providing resources in the history of medicine in New Jersey. The collections include archives and manuscripts; rare books and journals; oral histories; historical images including photographs and postcards; audio and video recordings; ephemera; and artifacts.
Robeson houses Rutgers—Camden campus ephemera, the Nick Virgilio Haiku Archive, the Stubbins Disney Collection, and more.
Digitized Collections
Rutgers University Libraries offers a wealth of historic and cultural resources and digital collections from our collections, as well as campus and global partners.
