Archives and Special Collections

The Library Archives and Special Collections mandate is to acquire, select, organize, preserve and disseminate archival records and other documents that support teaching and research at the University of Ottawa.

You can access our fonds collections divided into three categories using our research guide. Special rules apply to the consultation and reproduction.

Lucie Desjardins, archivist, and her team can offer you a specialized reference service in both official languages. Contact us for information about our guided tours and information literacy courses.

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Exhibition: Diderot and the Encyclopedists

Three hundred years ago, a man was born who made an indelible impression during his time. Denis Diderot (1713-1784), a revolutionary, visionary and rebellious author, who was vilified and excommunicated, was at the heart of a great encyclopedic project.

The Archives and Special Collections of the Morisset Library invites you to discover one of its masterpieces, the Encyclopédie, ou, Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, and works from main Englightment era collaborators: Boucher d'Argis, d'Alembert, d'Holbach, Louis, Rousseau, Toussaint, Voltaire.

Each month, different volumes of texts and plates of the 39 volumes encyclopedia will be displayed until December 2013 for your enjoyment.

Giving to the library

The library gratefully accepts donations to develop its services and collections. If you have a proposed gift, we would be happy to discuss it further with you. Read more