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Thesis/Objective – The aim of this article is to outline the presence of historical collections and contemporary legacies in academic libraries in Poland. The author highlights their significance as resources documenting scientific, cultural, and social activity, presenting selected examples of practices related to their acquisition, processing, and promotion. A key element of the text is a review of positions and opinions present in the literature on the subject – the article does not seek to formulate entirely new theories but rather to synthesize existing approaches and reflect upon them. The review section, showcasing selected collections from academic libraries, serves an illustrative function – its goal is to demonstrate the diversity of resources and their role in institutional practice, rather than to provide a detailed comparative analysis. Research methods – The article is based on a review-based approach. It draws on an analysis of secondary sources (specialist literature, reports, library websites, and institutional documentation) and a simplified form of case studies illustrating the practices of selected academic libraries. The analysis is complemented by reflections stemming from the author’s professional experience in working with archival legacies. Results/Conclusions – The collected examples show that legacy collections – ranging from personal archives to institutional documentation – play an increasingly important role in shaping the cultural and scholarly identity of universities. While some libraries focus solely on preservation, others actively engage in initiatives such as digitization, exhibitions, and public outreach. The examples of the University of Warsaw Library, the Nicolaus Copernicus University Library, and the University of Szczecin Library illustrate different but valuable approaches to integrating special collections into academic and public life. At the same time, the article points to certain challenges – including the lack of processing standards, insufficient funding, and uneven accessibility. The conclusion emphasizes that properly curated and managed historical collections and legacies can serve both as sources for research and as tools for strengthening academic memory and cultural continuity. As a reconnaissance, the text serves as an introduction to further research on special collections in Polish academic libraries and cultural institutions. The article underlines that librarians should act not only as archivists but also as active participants in the process of knowledge creation and scholarship.libraries – and it will be special collections. It is therefore in the well-understood interest of university libraries to “have special collections” (Supruniuk, 2010, p. 12).