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Rare Books
 Websites presented in alphabetical order 100 Highlights of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek 
 A digitized collection of manuscripts, printed works, bookbindings, and cartographic materials from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. From the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (National Library of the Netherlands). Available in Dutch and English. http://www.kb.nl/galerie/100hoogtepunten/index-en.html Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type, Printing, Publishing, and Book Arts Last updated Jan 6, 2006 The Bancroft Library: Video Presentations
Five brief "video presentations that explore the history and research activities" of the Bancroft Library. Featuring librarians who work at the Bancroft, "these excerpts are part of a video documentary that traces the origins, collections, and services of The Bancroft Library, one of the nation's leading archival and special collections repositories." From the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley. http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/info/video.html Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type Last updated Aug 2, 2006 Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Official site of this library (and related cultural institutions) in Alexandria, Egypt, that has a goal of being "a center of excellence in the production and dissemination of knowledge and to be a place of dialogue, learning and understanding between cultures and peoples." The site features information about collections and programs for the library, planetarium, antiquities museum, art centers, and more. Also available in Arabic, French, and Japanese. http://www.bibalex.org/English/ Topics: Librarianship, Libraries & Archives by Type Last updated Feb 5, 2008 Building Bancroft: The Evolution of a Library
An illustrated history of the establishment of the Bancroft Library on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. Features a chronology, and details about the creation of Hubert Howe Bancroft's personal library collection and its sale to the university in 1905, the building of the current library, and the library directors. From the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley. http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/Exhibits/bancroft/ Topics: California: Education, Libraries & Archives by Type, Notable People Last updated Aug 19, 2006 Canadian Pamphlets and Broadsides
Digital collection of pre-1930 Canadian pamphlets and broadsides (single-sheet printed material used for advertising and promotion). Approximately 20,000 images are represented here, of subjects ranging from political campaigns to company reports. From the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto. http://link.library.utoronto.ca/broadsides/ Topics: History By Place, Libraries & Archives by Type, Nonfiction by Genre Last updated Apr 1, 2006 Celebrating Research: Rare and Special Collections From the Membership of the Association of Research Libraries
This 2007 presentation profiles "selected rare and special collections available for use in the major research libraries of North America, compiled to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Association of Research Libraries." Features library overviews and collection profiles (click on the image within each library's listing to view a collection profile and more images). Also includes details about the accompanying print publication, and an overview of the project. From the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). http://www.celebratingresearch.org/ Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type Last updated Dec 5, 2007 Creating French Culture: Treasures from the Bibliothèque Nationale de France
This online exhibit traces France's history from Charlemagne in the eighth century to de Gaulle in the twentieth. Features high-quality reproductions of artifacts with commentaries about the historical, cultural, and artistic significance of the works. From the Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/bnf/ Topics: History By Place, Libraries & Archives by Type, Printing, Publishing, and Book Arts Last updated Aug 30, 2004 The Cultures and History of America: The Jay I. Kislak Collection at the Library of Congress
This is "an exhibition featuring fifty highlights from the rare books, maps, documents, paintings, prints, and artifacts that make up the Jay I. Kislak Collection at the Library of Congress. The exhibition focuses on the early Americas from the time of the indigenous people of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean through the period of European contact, exploration, and settlement." The site includes an online exhibition and a bibliography. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/kislak/kislak-home.html Topics: Geography, History, Libraries & Archives by Type, Native Americans Last updated Aug 3, 2005 Deafness in Disguise: Concealed Hearing Devices of the 19th and 20th Centuries
This online exhibit "presents mechanical and electrical hearing devices that combine the elements of disguise and functionality to provide amplification of sound." The exhibit features photographs of 19th and 20th century hearing devices, images from rare books on hearing loss, and a tribute to Max A. Goldstein, founder of the Central Institute for the Deaf. A joint project of the Central Institute for the Deaf and Washington University's Becker Medical Library. http://beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/did/ Topics: Disabilities, Libraries & Archives by Type, Medical Treatments & Devices Last updated Aug 30, 2005 Duke Papyrus Archive
This site "provides electronic access to texts about and images of nearly 1400 papyri from ancient Egypt." Searchable; or browse materials by subject (such as religion, women and children, clothing, food) or language. Also includes basic information about papyri and the Duke archive, and links to related sites. From the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library at Duke University. http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/papyrus/ Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type, Printing, Publishing, and Book Arts Last updated Nov 6, 2003 The George Kelley Paperback and Pulp Fiction Collection
"Over 25,000 pulp-fiction books and magazines," about half of which have been cataloged. "The Collection" has a list of genres: there are separate pages for adventure, detective/mystery, erotic, fantastic, horror, legal, science fiction, war, and western stories. Each section contains bibliographic information and a guide for searching the genre in BISON, the library's online catalog. From the Lockwood Memorial Library at the State University of New York in Buffalo. Note: site not recently updated. http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/lml/kelley/ Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type, Literary Movements and Periods, Literature: Fiction Last updated Jul 11, 2005 Guido Mazzoni Collection
"The collection consists of pamphlets, newspapers, programs, catalogs, and small volumes dating from the 16th through 20th centuries," including "many pamphlets relating to the Unification of Italy" and other Italian topics. The site includes a description of the collection, Mazzoni biographical information, a searchable database of the collection, and images of selected items (browsable by category). From the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University. http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/mazzoni/exhibit/ Topics: History By Place, Libraries & Archives by Type, Literary Movements and Periods, Literature by Place Last updated Jan 13, 2004 Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Highlights of this digitized collection are the rare maps (over 250 from the American Colonial, Revolutionary, and Civil War periods, as well as historic maps of Georgia and the South), Natural History Prints (featuring the botanical art of Pierre Joseph Redoute), and the Paris Music Hall sketches (costume designs including some done for Josephine Baker). There is also a reproduction of the Confederate Constitution, a large collection of Photos of Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects in Georgia , photographs from the papers of actor Charles Coburn, and a small sampling of other materials from this University of Georgia library. http://www.libs.uga.edu/hargrett/speccoll.html Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type, Nonfiction by Genre, U.S. History By Place Last updated Aug 24, 2004 Hawthorne: Bicentennial Exhibition at the Phillips Library
This site is a companion to an exhibit at the Phillips Library of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, "of papers, rare books, artwork, and other objects relating to Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)." The site features a sampling of the museum's most important Hawthorne holdings, including portraits, photographs, original correspondence, personal items, and images of The Spectator, a hand-copied newspaper produced in August and September 1820 by Hawthorne and his sister. http://www.pem.org/sites/hawthorne/ Topics: Correspondence, Holidays and Observances Individually, Libraries & Archives by Type, Literary Movements and Periods Last updated Oct 6, 2009 Historic American Sheet Music
Digitized images of over 3000 pieces of American sheet music from 1850 to 1920, along with their full-color cover art and advertisements, in this searchable index. Search for specific criteria such as subject or date, or browse by cover. From The Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library at Duke University. http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/hasm/ Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type, Music, Musical Genres Last updated Aug 19, 2008 Historical Directories
"A digital library of local and trade directories for England and Wales, from 1750 to 1919. Within the digital library you'll find high quality reproductions of comparatively rare books, essential tools for research into local and genealogical history." Browsable by location, decade, or keyword. Also includes links to sites related to British genealogy, and local and urban history. From the University of Leicester (England). http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/ Topics: Families, History, History By Place, Hobbies, Libraries & Archives by Type Last updated May 15, 2008 The Hive and the Honeybee: Selections from the E. F. Phillips Beekeeping Collection at Mann Library
This collection represents "one of the largest and most complete apiculture libraries in the world." Search and browse the full text of ten rare books, including "Mysteries of Bee-keeping Explained" (1853) and "New Observations on the Natural History of Bees" (1806). From the Albert R. Mann Library at Cornell University. http://bees.library.cornell.edu Topics: Agriculture, Insects & Arachnids, Libraries & Archives by Type Last updated May 5, 2005 Household Words: Women Write From and For the Kitchen
Devoted to "cookery manuscripts and published books of recipes, etiquette and household advice." Contains images of texts and explores the history of cookbooks and the social significance of culinary writings (including "receipt" books) on the lives of women. Features information on cooking schools, the advent of "home economics," and the impact of the food industry and mass production. From the Esther B. Aresty Collection of Rare Books in the Culinary Arts, University of Pennsylvania Library. http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/aresty/aresty1.html Topics: Education, Food & Cooking, Libraries & Archives by Type, Nonfiction by Genre, Notable People: Women, Recipes & Food Preparation, Society & Social Science Last updated Mar 8, 2004 Judging A Book By Its Cover: Gold-Stamped Publishers' Bindings of the 19th Century
An exhibit of English and American 19th century book covers with gold-stamping, a process that "brought to the mass-produced book some of the prestige associated with gold-tooled leather bindings of the pre-industrial era." Browsable by topic (vignettes, traditional designs, classical motifs, coats of arms, Wild West, travel books, designer bindings). Also features a gallery of selected book spines. From New York's Columbia University, Rare Book and Manuscript Library. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eresources/exhibitions/gilded/ Topics: Arts and Humanities, Libraries & Archives by Type, Printing, Publishing, and Book Arts Last updated Jul 5, 2004 The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museums
This library describes itself as "the world's largest private holding of important original manuscripts & documents. The archives include Literature, Science, Religion, History and Art. Among the treasures are ... The original manuscript of 'The Wedding March,' Einstein's description of his 'Theory of Relativity,' The 'Thanksgiving Proclamation' signed by George Washington, ... and over one million more." Includes images of selected items, and visitor information for museum locations throughout the U.S. http://www.rain.org/~karpeles/ Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type, Printing, Publishing, and Book Arts Last updated Dec 1, 2005 Libraries' Surprising Special Collections
This article from March 2009 highlights some "unexpected archives and world-class treasures" at U.S. libraries. Learn about the largest collection of Arabic papyrus and paper (University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library in Salt Lake City), nurse romance novels (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), tobacciana (New York Public Library), and more. From Smithsonian magazine. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Libraries-Surprising-Special-Collections.html Topics: Librarianship, Libraries & Archives by Type Last updated Mar 30, 2009 The New York Public Library (NYPL) Digital
A "gateway to The New York Public Library's rare and unique international holdings in digitized form," including maps, photographs, illuminated manuscripts, audio and video, and more. Searchable, and browsable by subject (African American culture, history, literature, New York City, and more). From the New York Public Library. http://www.nypl.org/digital/ Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type, U.S. History By Place Last updated Apr 30, 2006 Northwest Archivists
Website for "a regional association of professional archivists, users of archives, and others interested in the preservation and use of archival materials in the Pacific Northwest United States, including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington." Features job listings, events, continuing education opportunities, scholarships, and organization bylaws, procedure manual, and other documents. http://www.lib.washington.edu/nwa/ Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type Last updated Mar 27, 2006 Not by Bread Alone: America's Culinary Heritage
The site "explores the influences and inventions that have shaped American food habits over the past two hundred years." It is illustrated with "rare books, photographs, menus, and other early documents that trace the history of gastronomy in America." From the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library. http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/food/ Topics: Food & Cooking, Libraries & Archives by Type, Recipes & Food Preparation Last updated Jul 7, 2005 Not Tantamount to Rarity: Fifty Years of Collecting
Companion to an exhibit "celebrating a half century of special collections at the UCLA Library." Features an annotated checklist from the exhibit and images of selected items (such as a page from a Raymond Chandler manuscript and a photo of a California mission by Carleton E. Watkins). Browsable by topic, including Californiana, ethnic studies, literature, photography, and women. From the University of California, Los Angeles. http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/special/rarity/introduction.htm Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type Last updated Jan 27, 2009 Pastimes and Paradigms: Games We Play
This exhibition of "the evolution of games since 1800 ... includes a wide variety of antique and contemporary games, as well as rare books on rules, strategies, and recreation. Featured items include early nineteenth-century geographical board games; a Civil War game; suffrage games that garnered support in the battle for women's votes; a vintage Monopoly game; gambling punchboards; and a selection of games inspired by television programming." From Cornell University Library. http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/games/ Topics: Games & Puzzles, Libraries & Archives by Type Last updated Mar 11, 2004 Rare Book Room
This "educational site [is] intended to allow the visitor to examine and read some of the great books of the world." Includes digitized facsimiles of "some of the great books in science, including books by Galileo, Newton, Copernicus, Kepler, Einstein, [and] Darwin"; most of the Shakespeare Quartos; musical scores by Beethoven and Mozart; the 1455 Gutenberg Bible held by the Library of Congress; and many more. Searchable, or browsable by topic, author, or library. http://www.rarebookroom.org/ Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type, Literature & Books Last updated Jun 25, 2007 Rare Books From the MBG (Missouri Botanical Garden) Library
Features over 100 digitized volumes from the MBG Library's Rare Book collection. The library's goal is "to digitize and preserve beautifully illustrated and botanically significant books." Includes nearly 300 illustrations from Hermann A. Kühler's "Medizinal-Pflanzen," published in 1887. Browse by title or author, or search by scientific or common name. From the Missouri Botanical Garden Library and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. http://www.illustratedgarden.org/mobot/rarebooks/ Topics: Arts and Humanities, Arts and Humanities, Biology, Drugs & Medications by Type, Health, Health, Libraries & Archives by Type, Literature & Books, Medical Treatments & Devices, Plants, Printing, Publishing, and Book Arts, Science, Science Last updated Oct 27, 2005 Research Using Primary Resources
A primer on "finding, using, and understanding primary sources." Written by special collections librarians, it includes examples, definitions, and techniques and also addresses copyright and citation issues. While it has the expected focus on holdings of the university, it offers practical tips for effective use of repository materials generally. From the University of Maryland Libraries Special Collections. http://www.lib.umd.edu/special/research/ Topics: History, Libraries & Archives by Type Last updated Feb 4, 2009 Schoenberg Center for Electronic Text and Image (SCETI)
"SCETI, a fully integrated digital library, was created in 1996 to publish virtual facsimiles of rare books and manuscripts in the Penn [University of Pennsylvania] Library's collections." Features collections of images of U.S. Civil War documents, scientists and equipment, medieval and early modern manuscripts, and other topics. From the University of Pennsylvania Library. http://dewey.library.upenn.edu/sceti/ Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type, Printing, Publishing, and Book Arts Last updated Apr 3, 2006 Special Edition on Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ
The Journal of Religion & Society presents a dozen articles from a January 2004 symposium that "explored some of the issues surrounding Mel Gibson's ... movie dramatizing the passion of Christ." Also includes "A Viewer's Guide to Contemporary Passion Plays," which provides background material and contemporary interpretations. http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/toc/2004.html Topics: Christianity, Film: Genres & Themes, Libraries & Archives by Type Last updated Mar 9, 2006 Turning the Pages
This site allows visitors to "turn" the pages of famous manuscripts by using interactive animation. Manuscripts include Leonardo's Notebook, the Golden Haggadah, Vesalius' Anatomy, the Diamond Sutra, and Sultan Baybars' Qur'an. Also includes audio commentary. From the British Library. http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/virtualbooks/index.html Topics: Artists, Libraries & Archives by Type, Printing, Publishing, and Book Arts Last updated Sep 22, 2009 University of Missouri-Columbia Libraries: Digital Library Collections
These digitized collections include the "Fragmenta Manuscripta," manuscript leaves and fragments dating from the eighth to the 17th centuries; the Rare Collection, including several full-text historical works by William Smith Bryan, Zadok Cramer, and W.F. Switzler; e-books relating to the University of Missouri; and digital guides for selected Special Collections material. http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/specialcollections/digital.htm Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type Last updated Nov 10, 2004 Vivarium: The Online Digital Collections of St John's University and the College of St. Benedictine
"Vivarium is the home of digitized manuscripts, art, rare books, photographs, audio, video, and other resources from two Benedictine monastic and educational communities in central Minnesota. It is a searchable database delivering a variety of digital objects, including pictures, audio, video, etc." Browse within collections or take a sample tour. http://www.hmml.org/vivarium/ Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type, Museums by Place: United States Last updated Mar 30, 2006 |
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