Rare Books & Special Collections

Anyone who would like to donate items that they believe would be of interest to Special Collections should contact John Curtis, Head of Special Collections, at (440) 826-3571 or jcurtis@bw.edu.  Though we will consider any items offered, below is a detailed listing of our most sought after categories of items.

All imprints to 1849

United States fiction to 1864
United States territorial imprints prior to statehood (chart below)

Confederate States imprints, 1861-1865 (chart below)

Canadian imprints, Western Provinces (west of Ontario) to 1899
Australian and New Zealand imprints to 1869
African imprints to 1869
Asian imprints in English to 1869

Notable private press editions: Ashendene, Chiswick, Cuala, Kelmscott, Merrymount, Peter Pauper, etc.

Limited/numbered editions of less than 2000 [ex. Limited Editions Club]

Copies signed by the author or illustrator

Association copies owned by a significant individual, signed or with marginalia known to be by the individual

Works by BI/BU/GWC/BWC/BWU faculty
Works by BI/BU/GWC/BWC/BWU alumni
BI/BU/GWC textbooks if signed by owner with BW affiliation stated or known
Books signed or with bookplates of BI/BU/GWC faculty

Facsimiles of rare books and manuscripts

Monetary value exceeding $300

Fewer than five copies in WorldCat
Fewer than two copies in OhioLINK

Manuscript books or book leaves
Manuscripts of research value

Marginalia of research value

Documents signed by significant individuals

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Charts

United States territorial imprints prior to statehood

Confederate States imprints, 1861-1865

01 South Carolina
02 Mississippi
03 Florida
04 Alabama
05 Georgia
06 Louisiana
07 Texas
08 Virginia
09 Arkansas
10 Tennessee
11 North Carolina