Special Collections

Feuchtwanger Memorial Library
Horton Rare Book Room

Library Hours

  • Special Collections
  • Mon Mar 18
    1pm to 5pm
  • Tue Mar 19
    1pm to 5pm
  • Wed Mar 20
    1pm to 5pm
  • Thu Mar 21
    1pm to 5pm
  • Fri Mar 22
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sat Mar 23
    Closed
  • Sun Mar 24
    Closed
  • Mon Mar 25
    1pm to 5pm
  • Tue Mar 26
    1pm to 5pm
  • Wed Mar 27
    1pm to 5pm
  • Thu Mar 28
    1pm to 5pm
  • Fri Mar 29
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sat Mar 30
    Closed
  • Sun Mar 31
    Closed
  • Mon Apr 01
    1pm to 5pm
  • Tue Apr 02
    1pm to 5pm
  • Wed Apr 03
    1pm to 5pm
  • Thu Apr 04
    1pm to 5pm
  • Fri Apr 05
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sat Apr 06
    Closed
  • Sun Apr 07
    Closed
  • Mon Apr 08
    1pm to 5pm
  • Tue Apr 09
    1pm to 5pm
  • Wed Apr 10
    1pm to 5pm
  • Thu Apr 11
    1pm to 5pm
  • Fri Apr 12
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sat Apr 13
    Closed
  • Sun Apr 14
    Closed
  • Mon Apr 15
    1pm to 5pm
  • Tue Apr 16
    1pm to 5pm
  • Wed Apr 17
    1pm to 5pm
  • Thu Apr 18
    1pm to 5pm
  • Fri Apr 19
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sat Apr 20
    Closed
  • Sun Apr 21
    Closed
  • Mon Apr 22
    1pm to 5pm
  • Tue Apr 23
    1pm to 5pm
  • Wed Apr 24
    1pm to 5pm
  • Thu Apr 25
    1pm to 5pm
  • Fri Apr 26
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sat Apr 27
    Closed
  • Sun Apr 28
    Closed
  • Mon Apr 29
    1pm to 5pm
  • Tue Apr 30
    1pm to 5pm
  • Wed May 01
    1pm to 5pm
  • Thu May 02
    1pm to 5pm
  • Fri May 03
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sat May 04
    Closed
  • Sun May 05
    Closed
  • Mon May 06
    1pm to 5pm
  • Tue May 07
    1pm to 5pm
  • Wed May 08
    1pm to 5pm
  • Thu May 09
    1pm to 5pm
  • Fri May 10
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sat May 11
    Closed
  • Sun May 12
    Closed
  • Mon May 13
    1pm to 5pm
  • Tue May 14
    1pm to 5pm
  • Wed May 15
    1pm to 5pm
  • Thu May 16
    1pm to 5pm
  • Fri May 17
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sat May 18
    Closed
  • Sun May 19
    Closed
  • Mon May 20
    1pm to 5pm
  • Tue May 21
    1pm to 5pm
  • Wed May 22
    1pm to 5pm
  • Thu May 23
    1pm to 5pm
  • Fri May 24
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sat May 25
    Closed
  • Sun May 26
    Closed
  • Mon May 27
    Closed

Special Collections is open for research to both USC faculty, students and staff, and non-USC researchers, by appointment.  Please visit our reservations page for information on how to access collections and campus.

Below please find information on library services & resources available online, as well as helpful information about electronically available primary sources.

Research Guide with Information on Electronically available Primary Sources

Research Guide with General Information on working with Primary Sources

Are you an instructor and want to work with us on integrating primary sources and primary source literacy into your (online) teaching? Contact us at specol@usc.edu. Check out our teaching platform for primary source literacy which offers modules on various topics which students can explore synchronously or asynchronously.

 

General contact:
Reference desk: DML Rm 209
Phone: 213 740 5900
specol@usc.edu

Head: Sue Luftschein

 

Overview

Special Collections at the University of Southern California oversees the university's primary source collections including archives, manuscripts, historic photographs, and rare books. The department holds more than 200,000 volumes, more than 1000 archival collections, and more than 2 million photographs. 

Our mission is to lend intellectual excitement and vitality to the campus and community through access to our collections of archives, rare books, and other unique materials. We accomplish this by offering public programming, exhibits and instructional support, and preserving, promoting and fostering access to primary source material in our main areas of strength:  Holocaust and Genocide Studies; Iberian and Latin American Studies; Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland; Lion Feuchtwanger and the European exiles of the 20th century in Southern California; Natural History; Southern California Regional History; and USC history. This provides USC faculty, students and staff  and others outside the university community the opportunity to explore our unique primary source collections for their research and creative projects. 

An account is required to consult our materials. Go to our Specialized Research Collections Request page and register for a free account in our online request service. This online system allows you to make requests for materials, track the progress of your requests and plan your visits to our reading rooms anywhere anytime. After registering for an account, you will be able to request items online directly from USC's online catalog and our online finding aids.

The USC Libraries are temporarily pausing acceptance of unsolicited books and other collections. We expect to resume reviewing donation offers in December 2022.

We appreciate your thinking of us. However, please keep in mind that when the pause ends, in most cases we are rarely able to accept unsolicited items. You might also consider organizations like Better World Books or Pick Up Please, or your local public library may accept donations of used books.

 

Location:

Doheny Memorial Library
3550 Trousdale Parkway, Room 209
University Park Campus
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189

MAP: DML (second floor)

 

Follow us on Twitter!
@uscspecol

Follow us on Instagram!
@uscspecol