Description
In keeping with the University Library’s mission to collect, describe, preserve, and make available the record of human knowledge, the Special Collections Library acquires, cares for, interprets, and promotes the use of important collections of unique, rare, primary source, and other material in all formats and in a variety of subject areas.
In 1899, by creating a number of caged areas in the stacks for the safe and convenient storage of its “books of exceptional value," the University of Michigan Library established one of the first rare book rooms in the country. Because books of exceptional value were pulled for safekeeping from all areas of the “general” collections, our “special” collections are wide-ranging in subject matter.
Our holdings consist of approximately 300,000 volumes and more than 7,000 linear feet of archival and manuscript material. Notable collections and subject strengths include the papers of distinguished authors, poets, and filmmakers; Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts; early printed books (including 400 incunables); European military history; American culinary history; anarchism, radicalism, and social protest; children’s literature; Philippine history; the early histories of astronomy, mathematics, and medicine; and transportation history.
In 1899, by creating a number of caged areas in the stacks for the safe and convenient storage of its “books of exceptional value," the University of Michigan Library established one of the first rare book rooms in the country. Because books of exceptional value were pulled for safekeeping from all areas of the “general” collections, our “special” collections are wide-ranging in subject matter.
Our holdings consist of approximately 300,000 volumes and more than 7,000 linear feet of archival and manuscript material. Notable collections and subject strengths include the papers of distinguished authors, poets, and filmmakers; Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts; early printed books (including 400 incunables); European military history; American culinary history; anarchism, radicalism, and social protest; children’s literature; Philippine history; the early histories of astronomy, mathematics, and medicine; and transportation history.
Source
Alternative Title
University of Michigan Library, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections