The Special Collections Section was established to house different collections of reading materials, manuscripts and memorabilia personally collected by well-known personages. Materials in this Section are acquired through purchase, donation and deposit. To preserve the integrity of the collections and to honor the original owner, each of the collection has been kept intact in shelves. To date, the Section has the following collections:

Rizaliana Collection – a growing collection, consisting of more than 650 titles of publications of and about Jose Rizal, including the different translations of his writings into major European and Oriental languages as well as into Philippine dialects, his biographies written by scholars and the most noteworthy of his works, the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Also part of the collection are periodical clippings and photographs.    

Raymundo Banas Collection –  this was purchased in November 1971 consisting of 3,089 books, periodicals, pamphlets, photographs, souvenir programs and musical scores both foreign and local. 

Amado V. Hernandez Collection – AVH collection was donated by his wife, Atang Dela Rama in October 21, 1977 consisting of correspondences, legal papers, photographs, manuscripts and memorabilia that clearly reflects the life and works of a National Artist in Literature which covers the period 1877 to 1973.    

Atang Dela Rama Collection –  Donated in October 26, 1997, Dela Rama’s collections covers the period from 1920’s to 1986 which consists of her unpublished zarzuales, short stories and musical scores. Published manuscripts in newspapers, photographs and memorabilia are also included.    

Lope K. Santos Collection – generally consists of books, pamphlets, periodicals and manuscripts on various subjects which includes linguistics, literary writings such as novels, poetry and essays, political and social writings and history. His famous work, “Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa”, the basis of the Filipino language grammar is also part of the collection. 

Kenji Mori Collection  – a collection of 80 volume, mostly consists of Rizaliana materials, donated on July 18, 2014 . The collection includes the original first edition of Dr. Jose Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere” published in Berlin, 1887. Mr. Kenji Mori, is a Japanese philanthropist and a rotarian from Osaka Japan that admires the works, principles,  life and love for country of Dr. Jose Rizal which inspires him to collect the national hero’s literary works and other books written about him. Mr. Mori wishes  to return these precious materials  to the Philippines and to the Filipino people, hence donating it to the National Library of the Philippines. The collection further symbolizes friendship and cooperation between Japan and the Philippines.    

Photographs  – composed of various photographs about the history, geography and culture of the Philippines

Maps – composed of rare and currently published topographic maps of the Philippines , its regions and provinces as well as selected countries and states.