Special services from the Special Collections

Manuscripts

Our services

• Advice and assistance with research into the manuscript holdings and catalogues of the Manuscript Department
• Making manuscript material and archive records available for academic and private research and the general public (except where conservation and legal restrictions apply)
• Digitisation to order for research and publication purposes
• Supplying digital copies on e-manuscripta.ch
• Guided tours and events on topics related to the holdings, codicology and paleography
• Processing loan requests for exhibitions

Education and training courses

On request we offer guided tours, presentations and training courses for schools, students and interested groups. Topics range from general codicology and the history of writing to working with archive materials and presentations of individual fonds, topics or individuals. Once a month, we organise a short tour on a specific topic in the manuscript reading room as part of the “Saturday Manuscript” series.

• “Saturday Manuscript”, monthly short tours
• “A journey through time” for children
• “Manuscripts and archive records”, an introduction to researching and using manuscripts
• “Who’s afraid of old scripts?”, a training session on reading Fraktur script
• "Working with manuscripts and archive records for students"

In addition to current workshops and tours, we keep you up to date on numerous other events and offers from the ZB via our monthly newsletter.

Rare Books

Our services

• Information on issues related to antique books (from auction prices to provenance research)
• Assistance with catalogue research in the pre-1900 holdings
• Preparing rare books for use in the Department’s special reading room
• Processing orders for reproductions
• Processing loan requests
• Guided tours on specific topics by arrangement
• Lectures on the ZB’s pre-1900 holdings by arrangement

Department of Prints and Drawings and Photo Archive

From advice to guided tours: our services

If you have questions about artists, the content, dating and techniques of artworks or secondary literature, scientific staff from the Department of Prints and Drawings and Photo Archive will be happy to advise you in the reading room of our Special Collection.  

Map Department

Contact us in person or by phone or e-mail if you have questions relating to cartography and the history of maps. This is often the best way to go about your research: many older foreign maps are not yet listed in the online union catalogue and can only be located by our map librarians. We will also help you research developments in human settlement and the landscape.

Music Department

If you are looking for sheet music, audio media, music manuscripts, estates and literature on music-related topics, we will be happy to advise you. To order from estates or place digitisation orders, we recommend contacting us by e-mail. In addition to researching sheet music, we offer guided tours for schools, students and interested groups on request.

Turicensia

• If you are researching the history of your region, family or town, we can help answer your questions on the history and culture of Zurich since 1800.
• Providing access to our holdings and cultural mediation are key tasks of our Turicensia Department. Explore fascinating exhibitions in our Turicensia space. The Turicensia Lounge and its reference library are the perfect place to browse and discover. We will be happy to arrange a guided tour of the space on request.
• The Zurich Bibliography is a key source for Turicensia and a treasure trove of information about Zurich’s regional and cultural history. Our workshops offer advice about using the Zurich Bibliography and help with your personal research.
• We maintain a special bibliography for the works of Gottfried Keller and research literature about him. Contact us for assistance with your research.