Special Collections plays a strong role in supporting research, learning and teaching both inside and outside the University.
Services for academics
As well as supporting academic research with our extensive knowledge of the collections and advice on other sources of relevant archives, we also provide more structured assistance with teaching and research. Find out about services for academics
Working with students
Members of the Special Collections team are experienced in working with undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them develop their ideas for research projects based on our collections. Find out about working with students
Support for remote learners
We are looking at ways to support researchers who are keen to access our collections remotely. A partnership with Adam Matthew Digital Ltd has enabled us to extend free, online access to our mission archives to external researchers who are unable to visit us in person.
Applications for 2023-2024 are now closed. Please contact us to find out how to access the University’s mission archives.
Group visits
Special Collections is keen to welcome groups from beyond the University of Birmingham who wish to learn more about what we can offer and engage in research with our collections. We also embrace opportunities to visit interested groups and present details of our work and collections. Find out about group visits
Research outputs
Special Collections is keen to collaborate on research proposals based on our collections; see more details of recent projects supported by the team. Find out about our research outputs
Subject and resource guides
We provide a series of subject and resource guides for our archive collections which are an excellent starting point for future research. Read our subject and resource guides