About

Our Collections

The collections of the Université de Montréal libraries are developed in support of teaching and research at the university.

In addition to building general collections reflecting the evolution of knowledge and ideas, the libraries also fulfill a documentary preservation mandate. Their special collections include nearly 150,000 documents that are rare, old, or precious, bearing witness to the evolution of knowledge, disciplines, and research.

The Digitization Project

Documents held in our special collections have value as objects, beyond their content. As witnesses to history, creation, and the transmission of knowledge, they constitute a unique documentary heritage. This is why these documents are, for the most part, available for consultation on request at the Rare Books and Special Collections Library, at 3000 Jean-Brillant Street in Montréal.

In order to promote their preservation while broadening access, we have undertaken the digitization and online publication of certain items from our collections. This initiative makes these documents more widely accessible to researchers, students, and the general public, while ensuring their long-term preservation and promotion.

The Rare Books and Special Collections Library

Nestled at the heart of knowledge and memory, the Rare Books and Special Collections Library (BLRCS) is far more than a preservation site: it is a driving force for research, a space for intellectual discovery, and a living witness to our history.

The Rare Books and Special Collections Library is open on weekdays, on the 4^th floor of the Bibliothèque des lettres et sciences humaines. The library team is available on site with or without an appointment to help you select documents and bring them to you for comfortable consultation in our spacious reading and seminar rooms.

Using Documents on This Platform

The resources made available on this platform have been digitized following a rigorous review of the copyright associated with each item.

By making resources available on this platform, the libraries grant users a licence permitting consultation, downloading, and use of these resources for study, academic research, or private non-commercial purposes.

Any commercial use, mass distribution, or sharing requires a separate licence, which you may obtain by contacting the Direction des collections, du traitement documentaire et des métadonnées.