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Special Collections Guide for Student Classes

Visiting the Special Collections

The Special Collections Department is located on the second floor of Beeghly Library, adjacent to the Bayley Room.

The Reading Room is open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-Noon, and 1-5pm.

Students are highly encouraged to schedule appointments, but walk-ins are also welcome.

Contact information for appointments:

  • OWU Historical Collection

Stacy Chaney-Blankenship (Curator), historicalcollection@owu.edu, 740-368-3288

  • Rare Books, Manuscripts & Artifacts

Staffing in transition. Please email sbchaney@owu.edu or call 740-368-3288

  • Archives of Ohio United Methodism

Sharon Monigold (Archivist), aoum@owu.edu, 740-368-3285

Rare Books, Manuscripts & Artifacts

The Rare Books, Manuscripts & Artifacts collection contains materials illustrating various methods people have used to record transactions, thoughts, and knowledge in language forms: cuneiform writing in clay tablets; Greek on papyrus; sacred texts in Sanskrit on palm leaves, in Hebrew on a leather scroll, in illuminated manuscripts on parchment; early printed books. Individual collections include: 

  • The Leland Schubert Collection of 1920s imprint first editions 

  • The Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning Collection (books from their own library, their art collection, and furniture) 

  • The Kate Greenaway Collection 

  • Early 20th century Sheet Music 

  • The Jaccaud Collection of Presidential Campaign Literature: Books, pamphlets, signs from 1834 to the present day 

  • A rare and contemporary Spanish Civil War Collection 

  • The Bayley/Walt Whitman Collection (first editions, photographs, correspondence) 

  • The Paula B. and Thomas W. Harvey Collection of Civil War Letters