Themed collections
Four themed collections to experience in the library
Our public collection on the entrance floor has four themed displays. They showcase samples from the library's diverse and unique collections. Feel free to check them out. The items on the shelves are available for reading within the library, and you cannot borrow them.
We hope that you will discover something new in our themed collections. The themes may inspire you and spark your desire to deepen your knowledge. Let them capture your attention and take a moment to slow down. And feel the sense of community in a long tradition of knowledge at Lund University.
Spread across the library's entrance floor are our four themed collections. The themes are book history, maps, personal archives, and sustainability research.
Presentation of the themed collections
This display features archive material of several individuals in our collections. You will meet mathematician Anna Rönström, photographer Lina John, and painter Hedvig Tegnér, among others.
Personal archives include letters, manuscripts, photographs, and other personal documents left by individuals. Many of them were well-known in the fields of literature, art and science. The material provides a unique insight into their lives and work. And it can be of great research value.
You will find the themed collection on the east side of the entrance floor.
More about personal archives
The University Library registers the personal archives in Alvin.
Find personal archives in Alvin (alvin-portal.org)
The personal archives are part of our special collections. The special collections also contain manuscripts, old prints and photographs. You can read the material in the Special Collections Reading Room.
Read more about personal archives and how to request the material
This display features the breadth of our map collection. It includes a World Atlas, a historical map of Europe, a map of the city of Lund, and more.
Maps have always fascinated people. From explorers, military personnel, and presidents to researchers, collectors, and librarians. Maps tell us about what the world looks like today and what it looked like in the past. Maps can be both works of art and carriers of information, at the same time.
You will find the themed collection on the east side of the entrance floor.
More about maps
The University Library's map collection comprises hundreds of thousands of objects. They date from the 15th century to the present day. You can find our older maps in Alvin.
Explore digitised maps in Alvin (alvin-portal.org)
In the themed collection Research at Lund University, we focus on sustainability. It describes how scientific knowledge can contribute to a more sustainable society. You will see examples from different sciences.
Humans have always faced challenges and had to adapt to survive. We show that adaptation is a process that needs different scientific perspectives.
You will find the themed collection on the west side of the entrance floor.
This display covers paper, manuscripts, block books, censorship, and press freedom.
Books and printed matter are created in a historical and social context. Book history is about how production, materials, and design affect how we understand and experience them. It also considers the people behind them—those who made, read, collected, or even stole, burned, or risked their lives for these works.
You will find the themed collection on the north side of the entrance floor.
More about our collections
Our collections span more than two thousand years. They include ancient papyrus to medieval parchment manuscripts, and books printed on paper from the 15th century onwards. We preserve a copy of everything printed in Sweden, even advertising leaflets.