The collection contains books, pamphlets and journals on a variety of subjects spanning the 16th to the 20th century.

The main printed collections consists of material from the Catholic University of Ireland and the Royal College of Science.

Some collections have been bequeathed or purchased: they are named according to their provenance.

Locating and requesting items held in Special Collections

• Most Special Collections material can be found on the Library catalogue.
• Identify the material that you wish to consult. (Please note that via the Advanced Search option you can limit your search to Special Collections only.)
• Note the details, particularly the shelf mark.
• Fill in the query form, which can be found in the Special Collections reading room.
• Present the query form to Special Collections staff.
• We will retrieve the item immediately.