University Archives
& Special Collections

Vessels of Light: A Guide to Special Collections in the Killam Library

It has been observed that the quality of a university research library can be gauged by the extent and depth of its special collections. By that measure, the Dalhousie University Libraries can be counted among Canada's finest. Through the astute acquisition of collections, and with donations from private collectors since the early decades of the 19th century, special collections of international significance have been assembled here.

Rare Book Collection

Author Collections

• Rudyard Kipling Collection
• Sir Francis Bacon Collection
• Thomas Chandler Haliburton Collection
  
• William Gilpin Collection
  
• Oscar Wilde Collection

Canadian Collections

• Canadian Historical Maps & Prints
  
• Canadian Small Press Collection
  
• William Inglis Morse Collection
  
• Nova Scotia Creative Writers Collection
  
• Thomas Head Raddall Collection
  
• J.J. Stewart Maritime Collection

Theme Collections

• Ellen Ballon Collection {Music}
  
• Douglas Cockerell Fine Binding Collection
  
• Raymond 18th Century Collection
  
• Australian Literature Collection
  
• K.G.T. Webster Collection {Castles}