Kenneth Spencer Research Library
We welcome everyone to discover stories from KU, Kansas, and around the world within Spencer's remarkable collections. Here you can encounter rare and unique items ranging from 4,000-year-old cuneiform tablets to more than one million historical photographs of KU.
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Location, Parking, and Accessibility
Get details about finding the library on KU's Lawrence campus.
Aeon Login
You need a current user account in our online system, Aeon, to access collections on-site at Spencer.
Spencer Collections
Find information about, and digitized surrogates of, materials in a variety of places.
Citation Guide
Get help citing Spencer materials, especially archival collections, using APA, MLA, and Chicago styles.
Current Hours
May 17-August 23
Building and Exhibits
Monday-Friday: 9am - 5pm
Saturday-Sunday: Closed
Reading Room (In-Person Research)
Monday-Friday: 10am - 4pm
Saturday-Sunday: Closed
Requests for collection materials are accepted until 30 minutes before the Reading Room closes.
Exceptions
- Mon., May 25: Closed, Memorial Day
- Fri., Jun. 19: Closed, Juneteenth
- Fri., Jul. 3: Closed, Independence Day
Upcoming Events
New at Spencer Research Library
April-May Exhibit
Explore illustrations by Edward Gorey, who employed a deceptively child-like style to tell more macabre stories. Open in the North Gallery through May 29.
April-May Exhibit
Learn about and see examples of binder's waste, the practice of recycling pages of older manuscripts in new print volumes. Open in the North Gallery through May 29.
Spring-Summer Exhibit
Discover diverse representations of aging and older adults through contemporary artwork and historical documents. Open in the Exhibit Space through August 14.
New Digital Collection
Explore a selection of scrolls and bound manuscript codices dated to before 1600, part of Spencer's holdings of medieval and early modern manuscripts.