The JB Morrell Library is the main University library located on Campus West, with extensive collections of manuscripts, archives, periodicals and rare books, and over 12,000 reels of microfilmed 18th century titles and other ephemera. Its special collections also include the Dyson and Heath collections, with many first and second editions of poets, such as William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and nearly 450 books from prominent women writers like Frances Burney, Elizabeth Inchbald and members of the Bluestockings.
The library is also home to the Borthwick Institute for Archives, one of the largest archives in the UK outside London.
Students and researchers will have special access to many online resources ideal for exploring the long 18th century. These include key microfilm collections on the French Revolution, travel and empire, sexuality, satirical prints and women's autobiographies. For example:
.jpg)
The city of York is rich in 18th-century resources too, with collections in York Art Gallery, York Minster Library and York City Archives. The British Library site at Boston Spa is also just a short bus ride away.
We have connections with several organisations in the region. These have previously led to opportunities for work experience and heritage placements. They include:
.jpg)