Manuscripts and Special Collections is part of Libraries, Research and Learning Resources at the University of Nottingham.

Manuscript and archive holdings include the papers of leading Nottinghamshire families and their estates, the records of local businesses and organisations, the personal papers of political, diplomatic, literary, scientific and academic figures, as well as some of the historical records of the university and its predecessor, University College Nottingham.

The most substantial internal transfer was the acquisition in 1995 of the library of the former Institute of German, Austrian and Swiss Affairs, including both published and archival holdings.

This provided a reading Room, Store, Conservation, reprographical digitisation workshops and offices, with space for more expansion.

It has been approved for the custody of collections of national significance accepted in lieu of tax.

In October 2005, the Portland (London), Portland of Welbeck, and Newcastle of Clumber papers won recognition through the Designation Scheme of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), as being of outstanding national and international importance.