What is in the Rare Book Room?
Most obviously, books! But not only books, we also house the college’s art collection, manuscripts, facsimiles, documents, and plenty of fascinating objects. Notable items include miniature books, uniquely bound book covers, first edition copies of classics, signatures of US founding fathers, and much more!
Where is the Rare Book Room?
The Rare Book Room is often missed by visitors due to its location on the third floor of the Upjohn Library. It is on your left as you come up the main staircase of the library and has many plush red chairs right outside the doors. Look for room 326 on the library map!
I’m looking for a specific book, how do I know if you have it in the Rare Book Room?
All of the books in the collection are available to view through Library OneSearch! Once you have searched for a title, filter by “Location in Library” and choose “Rare Book Room – 3rd Floor” to see available titles in the Rare Book Room.
Due to the rarity and value of the materials in the Rare Book Room, items aren’t a part of general circulation and are not loaned out. However, if you’d like to use a book or just see what we have, the library staff is happy to bring out any and all rare materials for you to research. We also have a select rotation of books we bring out for any interested visitors who are coming in for the first time!
When can I come into the Rare Book Room?
While we have the appearance of being always closed, we have dedicated exhibit hours two days of the week totaling 4-5 hours per week. If your schedule does not allow you to visit us during exhibit hours, we are more than happy to accommodate you! Just fill out a Visitor Interest Form on the rare book room website or send us an email to set up an appointment.
Are students allowed in the Rare Book Room?
Yes! We are open to students outside of class visits and love to have visitors for any reason, whether research-based or purely to of curiosity! We host faculty, staff, students, parents, and off-campus visitors as well.