Special Collection Reading Room and Audiovisual Room

The Main Library, IV floor

Tel.: 58 523 32 62
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Opening hours: Monday-Friday 8.00-15.00

Collections:

• manuscripts: entire manuscript legacy or their fragments, individual works by the University of Gdańsk professors and other University academic staff as well as manuscript materials connected with the University,
• early printed books, i.e. literary publications published from the second half of the 15th c till 1800,
• 19th c books,
• 19th c journals,
• cartographic collection: Polish and foreign documents, plans, atlases with a special attention put on the marine subject matter of the region,
• visual arts including both old (Polish and foreign) and modern graphic materials:
- original documents: graphics, drawings, engravings, ex-librises
- mechanical/photographic reproductions: albums, catalogs of exhibitions, posters, postcards),
• ephemera : leaflets, regional materials, documents connected with the University of Gdańsk),
• microfilms, microfiches, slides, xero copies and photocopies,
• audiovisual documents: analog discs, tapes, CDs and audio cassettes (music and literary works and foreign language teaching materials),
• video cassettes and DVDs (documentary and educational films, film classic, theatrical performances),
• electronic documents: educational materials, dictionaries, encyclopedias,
• reference books: collections of a general character as well as in biology, history of art, cartography, music.
The most valuable part of the Library collections is retrospective special collections: early printed books, old cartography and graphics, the 19th c collection and manuscripts.

ATTENTION!
Not all documents from the collection are registered in the online catalog. The source of the information about the collection is a traditional catalog in the Main Library, 4 floor, and subject matter-oriented records in studios 4.45 and 4.46.

Circulation of special collections

1. Special collection is not lent outside the Library.
2. Some categories of the collection — early printed books, manuscripts and other particularly valuable documents are available exclusively for research purposes to academic staff and students with their supervisor’s written recommendation.
3. Reader who wants to use a special collection document is obliged to fill out a separate request form, where they shall write their personal data and the aim of using the item.
4. Reader who wants to use contemporary documents can do so after submitting a valid document.
5. Audiovisual and electronic documents are available in the audiovisual room. Readers aiming at using the audiovisual room shall contact a librarian from the Special Collections Reading Room in advance and fill out the request form.
6. Reader has a free access to the reference books collection. Used materials shall be handed to the librarian.
7. Other, detailed rules of using the special collections are stated in The Circulation regulations at the Library of the University of Gdańsk.

Device available:

- microfiche reader,
- computer stand with norms base access,
- computer stand with the Internet access,
- DVD player,
- VSH player,
- gramophone - for CDs and analog discs,
- hi-fi — for CDs and audio cassettes,
- tape recorder — for audio cassettes.