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Spaces & Equipment: Home

Spaces & equipment available in Special Collections and Archives.

Spaces in Special Collections & Archives

Space & Equipment Overview

Take a virtual tour of Special Collections & Archives.

Special Collections & Archives has different rooms best suited to the type or age of material, or the type of activity:

  • Use the Reference Reading Room to access reference collections and requested materials.
  • Use the Microform Room to access microfilm and microfiche of maps, newspapers, manuscripts, parliamentary papers, literary manuscripts, journals and census.
  • Use the Rare Books Reading Room to access archival items, manuscripts, items printed pre-1950, fragile and outsize items.

Special Collections & Archives has different equipment to access the different types of material in its care. In the:

  • Rare Books Reading Room there is a book scanner
  • Microform Room there are microform reader/scanners and microform reader/printers.

Ask at the Special Collections & Archives' Information Desk for:

  • A light sheet to illuminate watermarks in books and other bound items
  • A blacklight torch for reading faded ink handwriting.

If you have questions or comments about the spaces or equipment please email specialcollectionsarchives@ucc.ie.

Opening Hours

From 16 May 2022 until further notice: Special Collections & Archives will be open Monday-Friday (excluding public holidays) to UCC staff and students, and members of the public. 

  • Microform & Reference Reading Rooms: Monday-Friday 11:00-16:30.
  • Rare Books Reading Room: Monday-Friday: 11:00-13:00 & 14:00-16:30.

Closed: 6 June and 1 August 2022. Late evening openings on Wednesdays will resume 14 September 2022.

 

For more information about what items must be requested and to request them via the online request form see Request Special Collections & Archives.

In addition, we continue offering:

  • Scan & Deliver for Special Collections' material including items in the Reference Reading Room, Microform and items that show Special Collections by Request / Special Collections by Appointment on the library catalogue.
  • Reprographic requests for manuscripts & archival material via specialcollectionsarchives@ucc.ie.

Every effort will be made to fulfil scan & deliver / reprographic types of requests, but this may not always be possible due to availability, copyright restrictions, size and condition of materials. Due to the time-consuming nature of fulfilling requests across multiple microfilm reels rather than journal articles/book chapters there is a limit of 5 items in a week. 

If you have any queries relating to our collections please email specialcollectionsarchives@ucc.ie. This email address is monitored regularly.