The Special Collections Department is the designation for rare books, general manuscripts, and special collections which belong to the University of Pittsburgh. They have material which may be of interest to students and researchers of dance, particularly Pittsburgh dance.

Our responsibility for proper care of the unique materials entrusted to us requires us to institute the following safeguards in the reading room:

• Prospective users of rare books or manuscript collections must complete a registration form on your first visit

• Special Collections allows the use of loose sheets of note paper, note cards,or a laptop computer. You will be requested to place any items not permitted in the Reading Room in the key operated storage lockers, such as brief cases, backpacks, tote bags, purses, and laptop bags.

• The use of pens is prohibited, but we will be more than happy to supply you with a pencil.

• As a courtesy to other researchers, we ask that all cell phones be set to silent/vibrate.

• Scanning equipment may not be used in the reading room, although digital cameras are permitted with permission on a case-by-case basis. You will be asked to complete and submit a digital camera log.

• Materials will not be retrieved within 30 minutes of closing. All materials must be returned 15 minutes before closing.  Upon request, materials may be held on reserive in the Reading Room.

Search Collection Guides

A collection guide will provide you with background information and an inventory of the records found within our archival collections, including those in the Archives Service Center and the Center for American Music. See our Guide to Using the Special Collections for information on how to use our collection guides.

Browse Our Collection Guides