Consulting Our Rare Book Collections

Locating the Titles from Our Rare Book Collections 

The titles in our rare book collections are described in the library catalogue. Once you have identified the item(s) you would like to request, navigate to “Request to Copy or Visit” in the catalogue.

A link in the upper right will provide a link to the listing record where you can request the material(s) and request an appointment to consult them in-person through Special Collections Access, a library account designated for this purpose.

At the present time, the Library requires all researchers to provide three-day advance notice (Monday to Friday) to request an appointment for consulting the titles from our rare-book collections.

Requesting an Appointment

Rare books do not circulate and can only be consulted in the Special Collections Reading Room on the main floor of the Library. The opening hours are 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday.

Researchers are required to submit their requests for the titles from our rare book collections in advance through Special Collections Access, a library account designated for this purpose.

Please consult our quick start guide if you need assistance with registering for an account and booking an appointment.

Same-Day Appointments

If you are in need of same-day access to a rare book, kindly contact us either by phone or visit us in-person during our opening hours. It is important to note that for same-day use, it is required that researchers make their request in-person or on the phone at least thirty minutes before the designated retrieval time.

Retrievals of the titles from the rare book collections occur twice a day, at 11:00 am and 3:00 pm, from Monday to Friday only.

Preparing for Your Visit
& Wireless Access for Visiting Researchers

Prior to your appointment, please review the procedures and policies associated with registering as a researcher, handling rare books, and conducting your research, which are outlined in Planning Your Visit.

External researchers who are not affiliated with the University of Toronto can access the Internet by connecting to eduroam, a roaming wi-fi service for users in research and higher education. It provides secure network access when visiting a university other than your own, using your login from your home institution.

Researchers are required to set up their credentials at their home institution prior to visiting the Library to access eduroam at the University of Toronto. Alternatively, visiting researchers can request temporary access to eduroam by using their mobile device.

Other Bibliographic Tools

Researchers may find it useful to consult the various guides available for exploring our collections. These guides offer descriptive and analytical catalogues, checklists, and other bibliographic tools that aid in identifying pertinent materials in the collections associated with William Blake, Samuel T. Coleridge, Canadiana, and John Maclean.