The Manuscript collection contains more than 276 692 different kind documents of XIII- XXI centuries written on Lithuania Chancellery Slavic language, Russian, German, English, Hebrew and other languages. They are divided into 304 archival collections of smaller or larger scope:

1. Vilnius University,
2. Vytautas the Great University in Kaunas,
3. Editorial boards, societies and institutions,
4. Church institutions,
5. Estate collections,
6. Collections compiled by the Department,
7. Personal collections.

The major part of the material is related to Vilnius University and its history: different periods of the University existence, personal archives of professors of Old University and contemporary scientists, dissertations, collections of diploma papers, material of ethnographic, folklore expeditions and archives of societies. There is also part of the Vytautas the Great University documents, passed over to the Library in 1952–1953. A significant part contains courtbooks of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, documents of confessions, administration of cloisters and church institutions, pastoral and educational activities, property documents, fragments of patrimonial archives of nobility, documents of city administration institutions, guilds, other economic activities, archives of North West Russian provinces administration, educational institutions, editorial boards, societies, church institutions and special collections (parchments, photographs, music, architectural plans and drawings, land plans, autographs, Atgimimas press (the Rebirth period) (1988–1993 collection of newspapers).

Vilnius university doctor degree dissertations are available on Library Electronic catalogue.

Manuscript Department collections you can find in electronic or card catalogues.

Inventory list of collections

Rules of work with manuscripts and user service