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.
Get Started
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 18-August 17
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 26: Closed, Memorial Day
- Thu., Jun. 19: Closed, Juneteenth
- Fri., Jul. 4: Closed, Independence Day
New at Spencer Research Library
July 2025 Exhibit
Examine medieval wax seals from Spencer's holdings and learn about the stories behind them. Open in the North Gallery through July 31.
Spring-Summer 2025 Exhibit
Explore medieval manuscripts that readers annotated centuries ago with doodles and notes. Open in the Exhibit Space until July 25.
New Digital Collection
Explore studies on falconry from KU Libraries' collection of Japanese「古典籍」(manuscripts and prints) on natural history topics.
New Online Finding Aids
Discover what the manuscripts processing team has been up to! Explore their list of new finding aids published in 2024.
2024 Spencer Snapshot
708
in-person researchers in the Reading Room
45%
of in-person researchers who are KU undergraduate and graduate students
81
tours and events for campus, K-12, community, national, and international groups
149
instruction sessions for KU classes, reaching more than 1,600 students