University libraries possess diverse materials, some of which belong to special collections. Even though departments with special collections attempt to make such materials more accessible and guide users on their use, students are not their primary user group. This study, therefore, aims to gain a deeper understanding of the circumstances that hinder students from accessing special collections materials at university libraries. The theoretical framework is based on Michael K. Buckland’s conceptual model of information barriers. The empirical data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with specialists administering or working with special collections at Swedish university libraries. The study results suggest that a range of barriers prevent students from using special collections. Those can occur at various stages of information retrieval. The majority of obstacles, however, occur during the process of identifying a relevant source in relation to an inquiry.