The Rare Book Section of Special Collections serves to protect many valuable and unique materials owned by the library. Although many items were acquired through donations, an active acquisitions policy has significantly increased the library's holdings in recent years. English and American Literature of the 19th and 20th Centuries form the basic focus for the collection, which serves as an integral part of the doctoral programs of the University.
Classes of Rare Materials include:
- Editions limited to under 250 copies
- Works printed prior to 1799 for European works and prior to 1825 for
American works
- Association works, e.g., items associated with significant or famous
individuals, often with autographs. An excellent example in the collection
is George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia, (1938) which includes notes and
corrections to the text made by Orwell.
- Examples of fine printing or binding, including unique items
- Books from notable printing presses
- Books relating to the Manuscript Collections and/or the University
Archives, e.g., De Re Metallica, the first publication devoted
to scientific mining practices which is a strong complement to
the Industrial Manuscripts Collections.
- First Editions
- Various individual titles, including works by the following authors:
|
Herman Melville James McNeill Whistler Norman Mailer George Orwell Washington Irving Margaret Atwood Lydia Sigourney John Greenleaf Whittier |
Henry David Thoreau John Adams Edgar Allan Poe Mark Twain Charles Darwin Nathaniel Hawthorne James Joyce Edward Abbey |
All items in the Rare Book Collection are catalogued in the University's On-line Catalog, Voyager.
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