Welcome to the University of Reading’s Museums and Collections. From ancient pottery and medieval literature, to the work of Samuel Beckett and the history of rural England, discover and explore the fantastic breadth of our collections.

Our museums and collections

The Museum of English Rural Life

Explore the history of the English countryside and its people.

Special Collections

The University's diverse and surprising collections of rare books, archives, and manuscripts.

Art Collections

Explore hundreds of original artworks by leading artists from across history.

The Cole Museum of Zoology

The Cole Museum reopens in 2021. Find out more.

The Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology

Explore one of the UK's largest collections of ancient Greek ceramics.

Lettering, printing, and graphic design

Our typography collections cover millennia of print history, from ancient Egypt to the present day.

Herbarium

Learn more about the University Herbarium.

Geology

Discover thousands of rock and mineral specimens.

East German Studies Archive

From the GDR to reunification, this collection tells the story of East Germany from many angles

Search our Collections

This box allows you to search our main databases. If you prefer to browse, you may wish to use the A-Z list

Can't find what you're looking for? You can find search tips here.

The MERL has also produced a short guide to using Enterprise to search its archives.You can access it here.

If you cannot find what you need through our databases, please contact the relevant museum or collection. If you are unsure of who to contact, please email specialcollections@reading.ac.uk

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