Who We are

Heritage Collections is the part of the Library with responsibility for the Special Collections team and the acclaimed Bill Douglas Centre Museum. 

The Special Collections and Bill Douglas Centre Museum teams manage the University's key collections of archives, rare books, film memorabilia and objects which can be accessed via our dedicated reading room, housed in the Research Commons, Old Library.  The teams also administer the historic Devon and Exeter Institution Library in the Cathedral Close, Exeter. 

The collections are used extensively in University teaching and research programmes.  We also have strong links with other regional, national and international institutions, engaging in outreach and collaborative projects which benefit both the University and the broader community.

Central to the Heritage Collections team is the concept that cultural collections should be embedded in research and teaching at Exeter, and that they enrich the university environment, stimulating new thinking and creativity.