Kenneth Spencer Research Library
We welcome everyone to discover stories from KU, Kansas, and around the world within Spencer's remarkable and diverse 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 5-August 24
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
- Fri., May 24: Closed, building maintenance
- Mon., May 27: Closed, Memorial Day
- Wed., June 19: Closed, Juneteenth
- Thu., July 4: Closed, Independence Day
New at Spencer Research Library
Spring-Summer 2024 Exhibit
Explore a selection of bookbinding models that represent common types of bindings across time and cultures. Open in the Exhibit Space through August 16.
Summer 2024 Exhibit
Learn about the connections between two Kansas artistic luminaries: Langston Hughes and Gordon Parks. Open in the reception area through August 17.
New Digital Collection
Watch films produced by the award-winning, Lawrence-based Centron Corporation. Spencer also holds collections of records and papers related to Centron.
New Digital Collection
Enjoy photographs of Douglas County, Kansas, taken by music teacher and avid amateur photographer Annie I. Wight between 1899 and 1917.
2023 Spencer Snapshot
745
in-person researchers in the Reading Room
50%
of in-person researchers who are KU undergraduate and graduate students
87
tours and events for campus, K-12, community, national, and international groups
128
instruction sessions for KU classes, reaching more than 1,300 students