Dunya Ramicova, Costume designs for “The Voyage” (1992): Left to right: Female “Native”, Queen Isabella, and Space Twins; Graphite pencil, watercolor, and metallic watercolor on watercolor paper. (UC Merced Archives and Special Collections)

Tucked away in quiet reading rooms and climate-controlled stacks across the libraries of the University of California are collections that rival the greatest museums in the world.

From medieval manuscripts and early maps to artists’ books, political posters and one-of-a-kind ephemera, UC’s special collections offer rare encounters with extraordinary objects and ideas.  What many don’t realize: Much of this is open to the public.