The Melitensia Collection comprises material pertaining to the Maltese Islands published by Maltese or foreign authors, works published by Maltese authors on any subject and publications pertaining to the Order of St John.
The Archives and Rare Books Collection houses a vast collection of Cabinet and Rare Books, together with a range of collections donated or bequeathed to the Library that cover topics from language and literature to anthropology and music.
Archives and Rare Books Collection are a unique resource of rare books, manuscripts, photographs and also the University of Malta Heritage Archive Collection (UMHAC), which is the University’s own archival and administrative records.
Some of the donations have been generously donated or bequeathed to the UM Library, and have been named to honour the donors who have put these collections together in the course of their lifetime. Some of the collection represent the total of the namesake life’s work.
Among these collections one finds:
The University of Malta Library holds periodical exhibitions in its foyer, in the area just before entering the reference department. The aim of these exhibitions is to showcase some of the collections held in the Archives and Rare Books department. We also strive to bring to life these artefacts and to share the stories that surround these collections with our visitors. In an effort to reach out to as many people as possible the Library digitises these exhibitions and they can be viewed online.
The Adrian Strickland Bequest is a collection of books donated to the University of Malta Library by Adrian Strickland’s family in 2020. The collection was accumulated by Mr Strickland throughout his lifetime and reflect his love for the subjects of heraldry and vexillology. The books include some rare first editions on heraldry.
The Agatha Barbara Papers were donated to the University of Malta Library through the initiative of Prof. Carmen Sammut in 2019. The collection includes documents relating to Ms Barbara’s term as President of the Republic of Malta (1982-1987) and her role as Minister of the Government. The documents include speeches, reports, photographs and correspondence.
A detailed listing of the collection can be viewed online.
This collection was donated to the Malta University Library by Chev. Cassola’s son, Prof. Arnold Cassola, in 2013. The collection is made up of newspaper cuttings (1930-2005) relating to Chev. Cassola’s life and literary activities. The collection also includes publications and other material such as correspondence and other musical material.
A full listing of the collection can be viewed online.
This collection of books is available for consultation at the Faculty of Arts Library.
The Brig. Alfred Samut-Tagliaferro CBE collection was donated to the University Library by his son, Dr John Samut-Tagliaferro, in 2022. This special collection reflects Brig. Samut-Tagliaferro's wide ranging interests, from History to Criminology and English literature, and is also a testament to his life-long love of music, containing a number of librettos, books on composers such as Schubert, Verdi, Beethoven and Brahms, and an extensive collection of newspaper articles on opera. The collection is further enriched with a number of early vinyl records dating from the 1940s with recordings of arias sung by famous artists such as Caruso. The list of articles can be viewed online.
The Charles Camilleri Bequest was donated to the University of Malta Library by his widow Mrs Doris Vella Camilleri in 2009. This musical collection includes an extensive collection of LPs (Long Playing records) and music cassettes belonging to the late Mro. Camilleri. An extensive number of musical scores by Charles Camilleri also form part of this collection amongst which is the famous Mundi Missa.
David Elyan, being a scholar of repute, presented this collection to the University of Malta Library in 2000. The collection is made up of over 1,000 books, which include first editions of books by W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, Frank O’Connor and other renowned authors. This collection would be of interest to those willing to undertake research on the Irish Dramatic Movement and the Irish Literary Renaissance in the early 20th century.
The DNP archive was generously donated to the University of Malta Library by Dr Albert Ganado in 2014. The collection includes administrative records which include the original Statute, minutes of meetings, correspondence and propaganda material of what came to be known as Dr Herbert Ganado’s Party. The Party’s papers cover the years 1958-1965 and would be of interest to those willing to undertake research Maltese Political Science.
A full listing of the collection can be viewed online.
This collection was accumulated by Dr Donald Sultana and donated to the University of Malta Library by his nephew Ing. Mark Sultana in 2014. The collection is mainly related to English literature, and includes some rare editions of books by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and other Romantic figures such as Sir Walter Scott, William Wordsworth and Benjamin Disraeli. This collection of books would be of interest to those willing to undertake research on the Romantic Age in English literature.
The George Zammit Collection was donated to the University of Malta Library through the initiative of Prof. Sandro Lanfranco in 2021. The collection was accumulated by the author George Zammit and includes early drafts of poems and short stories, correspondence and photographs.
A full listing of the collection can be viewed online.
The Giovanni Curmi Collection was donated to the University of Malta Library by his daughter Ms Ileana Curmi in 1997. The collection is predominantly made up of Maltese and Italian Literature, together with personal correspondence and manuscripts of his unpublished works. This collection would be of interest to those willing to undertake research on Italian and Maltese literature.
A full listing of the collection can be viewed online.
The Godfrey Wettinger bequest was bequeathed to the University of Malta Library by the late professor himself in 2013. Prof. Wettinger was a Medieval historiographer at the University of Malta and he accumulated a collection of over 6.500 books together with a corpus of research notes, personal papers and correspondence during a lifetime of research. This collection would be of interest to anyone researching the demography of nations, history of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. A full listing of the collection can be viewed online.
The Guido Lanfranco Collection comprises 600 botanical drawings in watercolour of Maltese flora, fauna and medicinal plants. Beside the beautiful collection of watercolours, the Archives and Rare Books Department also has a small collection of pamphlets which is also accessible and part of the Guido Lanfranco Collection, regarding Maltese folklore and traditions.
This large collection of books and papers formerly belonging to the writer and folklorist Ġużè Cassar Pullicino (1921-2005) was donated to the UM Library by his son Louis. Cassar Pullicino dedicated his life to studying local folklore, oral history, Maltese language and culture, traditions and historical events, and many of his findings were published in periodicals, books and conference proceedings both locally and abroad. This collection consists of his personal library of books together with an extensive collection of his papers including work-related correspondence, newspaper cuttings, articles, photos, and pamphlets.
A full listing of his papers can be viewed online.
The papers pertaining to the Ġuzé Chetcuti Collection were donated to the University of Malta Library by Mr Chetcuti’s family in 2014 through the initiative of Prof. Carmen Sammut and Prof. Adrian Grima. The collection includes correspondence, photographs and manuscripts of draft of poems and plays, together with translations of play scripts in English, Italian and French.
A full listing of the collection can be viewed online.
This is al collection of periodicals donated to the University of Malta Library by Ġużi Gatt in 2021. The collection is made up of periodicals published by student associations during the 1970’s and 1980’s. They shed light on various political and social issues of the time, including the beginning of the Green Movement.
A full listing of the collection can be viewed online.
This collection of books is available for consultation at the Faculty of Laws and Theology Library.
The late Prof. Oliver Friggieri passed this collection of articles to the University of Malta Library while he was still a resident academic within the Faculty of Arts. The collection includes copies of articles and academic papers authored by Prof. Friggieri which were translated into several languages, including Bulgarian, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
This collection of books is available for consultation at the Valletta Campus Library.
The University of Malta Heritage Archive Collection is the University’s very own early archival and administrative records, some of which date back to the early 1800s. The collection includes correspondence, minutes of meetings from several long-standing Faculties including the Humanities and Medicine, Council Enclosures, and rolls of students.
The Victor Pasmore Bequest was donated to the University of Malta by his children John Henry Pasmore and Mary Ellen Nice in 2018. The collection holds over 500 books and exhibition catalogues which formed part of Mr Pasmore’s personal library. Most of these books deal with contemporary and abstract art. Inside the books one can find numerous insertions and notes penciled by Mr Pasmore himself.
The mission of Special Collections is to manage, develop, preserve, and enhance visibility and access to these prestigious collections acquired by the Library.
Researchers can book appointments to access material in the Special Collections Reading Room, at the Main Library by calling on +356 2340 3057 or sending an email to archives.lib@um.edu.mt
Staff within Special Collections are always willing to support you. We want your visit to be as enjoyable and productive as possible.
