About:

The Archives and Special Collections Reading Room appointments are closed through February 2025, and reference services are limited as we relocate our collections to a new vault. Please contact us with any questions.

The UCSF Special Collections contains manuscripts (primarily modern) and papers of individuals; historical records of UCSF hospitals; administrative records of regional health institutions; photographs and slides; motion picture films and videotapes; oral histories; pamphlets and born-digital materials. The Manuscript Collection exists to complement the official holdings of institutional records housed in the Archives. While the collection is not strictly restricted by subject, these materials will usually encompass the following broad subject matter: the practice and science of medicine; biomedical research; healthcare delivery, economics, and administration; health professions education; operations and history of UCSF, its schools, program, and affiliated partners as appropriate; alumni collections including club memorabilia, diaries, photographs, reunion books and scrapbooks. UCSF has the preeminent collection documenting the history of HIV/AIDS epidemic that was started through the UCSF AIDS History Project in 1987 and has been growing even since. The Biotechnology Archives document the leadership of scientists and corporations in the Bay Area in the development and growth of biotechnology. The East Asian Collection is especially strong in works related to the history of Western medicine in Japan from the middle of the 16th century to 1900. It also holds books and journals related to the history of medical societies and medical and pharmacy schools in Japan. Other areas of strength include traditional Chinese medicine, Buddhist medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and acupuncture. The Japanese Woodblock Print Collection consists of 400 prints and 100 scrolls, dating from 16th to the 20th century.

The UCSF Archives were formally established in 1963 when UC President Clark Kerr mandated the creation of both a records management and an archives program in the University. The Archives serve as the official repository for the preservation of selected records, printed and born-digital materials, and realia generated by or about the UCSF, including all four schools (Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy), the Graduate Division, and the UCSF Medical Center.