Special Collections and Archives

Special Collections and Archives

Welcome to Special Collections and Archives.  Celebrating distinctiveness.

Library and Learning Resources is home to the Special Collections and Archives of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, including the University's oldest printed books, manuscripts and archives.

The Special Collections include over 35,000 printed works, 8 medieval manuscripts, around 100 post medieval manuscripts, and 69 incunables. 

Material from the Archives includes the institutional archive of St David’s College, later The University of Wales, Lampeter, and Trinity College Carmarthen, and Swansea Metropolitan and constituent colleges, all constituent members of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

The Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre is also housed within the library and includes an archive with over 6 000 accounts of first-hand experiences of people from across the world who have had a spiritual or religious experience. Founded by Sir Alister Hardy in 1969 at Manchester College, Oxford, the research centre moved to Lampeter in July 2000.  The Centre’s aim is to study contemporary accounts of religious or spiritual experiences.  In addition to its archive of accounts, the research centre houses a specialist collection of books and journals.

The Jazz Heritage Wales Collection is the oldest multi-media jazz archive in the UK. Founded by Professor Jen Wilson in 1986 the Collections moved to the University in 2008 and comprise a library of journals and periodicals; recordings including 78s, EPs, LPs, CDs, DVDs, VHSs and music players; reel-to-reel recordings and player; photographs, Oral Histories and unique Stage Gowns, the earliest dating from 1900. Touring Exhibition Panels are also part of the Collection. The Collection’s aim will be to study Wales’s cultural history and African American heritage.  Contact: jazzheritagewales@uwtsd.ac.uk