Rare Books & Manuscripts

The Rare Books & Manuscripts department is a repository for several research materials – books, manuscripts, newspapers, maps, and photographs – that are organized in collections, rather than as individual titles. The materials in a collection may be associated with a particular person or group, or they may have other qualities in common, such as great age, rarity, or distinctive physical attributes. It is the focus of the particular collection, rather than the subject matter of the individual items, which gives the collection its identity. These materials complement the circulating collection and form the basis for specialized teaching and research.