Rare Book and Texana Collections

 The Rare Book & Texana Collections
(http://www.library.unt.edu/rarebooks/) consists of over 20,000 books, periodicals, diaries, letters, photographs, scrapbooks, posters, maps, original artworks, prints, artifacts, legal documents, manuscript materials, microforms, digital media, etc. The collections span over 4,000 years of recorded knowledge.

Some of the resources in the Rare Book & Texana Collections that would apply to this course include:

• Periodicals from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
• Travel diaries and accounts (particularly about Texas) from the late 1800’s.
• Texas county and city histories (450+), mostly illustrated and with detailed descriptions of life in “the old days”.
• Individual and collective biographies of Texans.
• Extensive correspondence from WWII
• Writings and scrapbooks of Gustine Courson Weaver (author, philanthropist, genealogist, storyteller, collector, etc.).
• Scrapbooks of Graydon Heartsill (teenager in Texas, 1919-1947).
• Dorothy Howard collection, which includes works on children and play, and genealogy.
• Collections of Southern literature
• Children’s books and educational materials.
• Legal documents (constitutions, laws, court cases, etc.) recording the laws related to women.
• Posters
  The following is a description of the UNT Libraries posters collection from http://digital.library.unt.edu/browse/collection/wwpc/
  The Rare Book & Texana Collections includes among its holdings a collection of over 800 original World War I and World War II posters. The World War I posters include a number of French examples, while the World War II group consists primarily of American home front posters. War bonds, rationing, enlistment, security, and morale are all topics treated by these artworks. The collection includes posters by such famous artists as Normal Rockwell, Theodore Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss), and Boris Artzybasheff.

Note: Due to the nature of the materials housed in the Rare Book & Texana Collections, students should be aware that all items from those collections are room-use only, and that often there are materials in the collections that are not documented in the on-line library catalog. Students will need to work with the staff of the Rare Book Room in order to make the best use of the resources held. While some materials have been digitized, most items are still only available in physical formats. When doing in-depth research, it is best to call ahead and make an appointment, as that will allow us to devote more time to assisting you.

The Rare Book Room is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 12 noon on Friday, and other times by appointment with sufficient notice. Materials housed in the Rare Book & Texana Collections do not circulate and must be used in the Rare Book Room. The Rare Book & Texana Collections may be reached at (940) 565-2769.