Our Holdings

Did you know that UTARMS has…

University of Toronto Archives stacks

Visit Discover Archives, a shared platform across University of Toronto Libraries, to explore descriptions and finding aids of holdings from our collection.


University records

More than 60% of our holdings consist of the university’s administrative records. This material documents the day-to-day operations of the University of Toronto, the founding of the university and its development since 1827, and the work of administrators, staff and students in the various academic divisions of the university. This material is used for historical research, but also supports university administration and promotes accountability.

For more information on managing and transferring university records, see Records Management.


Private records

The Archives has the private papers of more than 1000 individuals and groups affiliated with the U of T, including faculty, alumni and student organizations. These papers document teaching, research, learning and extracurricular activities of the university’s prominent members and groups.

For information on making a donation to the Archives, see Donations.


University publications & theses

The Archives holds an extensive collection of university publications such as yearbooks, calendars, annual reports, newsletters, departmental handbooks and student newspapers. Early calendars and student registers dating back to 1845 are widely used to trace staff and students as well as course curricula. The Archives also has a complete set of Torontonensis, the University yearbook published from 1898 to 1966. The Archives holds Masters theses from 1897 to 1989 and Doctoral theses from 1900 to 1985.

Please note: Most theses are held off-site and require 2-3 business days to retrieve. Please contact us ahead of your visit to arrange for the theses' retrieval.

For more recent theses, see the University of Toronto's research repository, T-Space.