Bound Manuscripts Collection
Item
Country
US
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
eng
Contact information: postal address
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library, 90095-1575 Los Angeles, CA
Contact information: phone number
001 (310) 825 4988
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
Reference number
LSC.0170
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (official language of the state)
Bound Manuscripts Collection
Language of title
eng
Creator / accumulator
University of California Library Special Collections
Date note
7th century/19th century
Language(s)
ara
deu
fra
eng
heb
ita
lat
por
spa
Extent
698 storage units
Type of material
Textual Material
Graphic Material
Scope and content
The bound manuscripts collection aggregates manuscripts from the 7th to the 19th century on a wide variety of topics, including, for instance, a papyrus fragment from the 7th century, Persian and Arabic manuscripts, manuscript books from the 16th to the 18th century, personal journals, etc. Among this collection, there is a manuscript of Sete derasiot by rabbi Saul Levi Mortera (1596-1660), written in Amsterdam in 1644 (107). This 86-leaf book of Portuguese sermons includes ink drawings by Samuel de Caceres, brother-in-law of Baruch Spinoza, who is also likely the scribe. There is another copy of Mortera's sermons, but from a different scribe, in the Ets Haim Library in Amsterdam. One of the sermons was published by Herman Prins Salomon (2003)
Administrative / Biographical history
The history of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Library dates back to 1883, two years after the foundation of the California State Normal School. In 1931, the Library already held a collection of 24,000 volumes. The construction of the Main Library in Westwood had begun two years earlier. In the following years, the collection increased significantly and, in 1944, the Library held about 462,000 volumes.
The Special Collections department was founded in 1946, during the tenure of Lawrence Clark Powell as chief librarian (1944-1961). During these years, the Library expanded its facilities and collections, with the aim of supporting academic research. In 1964, it was completed the construction of the University Research Library, now the Charles E. Young Research Library, where the Library Special Collections are currently preserved. Soon, this six-story building became the administrative centre of the UCLA Library system, while the Main Library was converted to the College Library. In 2010, the Library Special Collections merged the services and operations of five special collections of the UCLA Library, namely the Center for Oral History Research, Charles E. Young Department of Special Collections, Louise B. Darling Biomedical Library History Division, and Special Collections for the Sciences, Performing Arts Special Collections, and University Archives.
The Special Collections department was founded in 1946, during the tenure of Lawrence Clark Powell as chief librarian (1944-1961). During these years, the Library expanded its facilities and collections, with the aim of supporting academic research. In 1964, it was completed the construction of the University Research Library, now the Charles E. Young Research Library, where the Library Special Collections are currently preserved. Soon, this six-story building became the administrative centre of the UCLA Library system, while the Main Library was converted to the College Library. In 2010, the Library Special Collections merged the services and operations of five special collections of the UCLA Library, namely the Center for Oral History Research, Charles E. Young Department of Special Collections, Louise B. Darling Biomedical Library History Division, and Special Collections for the Sciences, Performing Arts Special Collections, and University Archives.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
Access, restrictions
Open for research. Digital copies of a few items (not the one mentioned above) are available online:
Links to finding aids
Existence and location of copies
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2022
Published primary sources
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| UCLA Library Special Collections | Collections (official language of the state) |