The Collection

Ohio Wesleyan University's Rare Books, Manuscripts, and 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 Latin and Ge'ez in illuminated manuscripts on parchment; early printed books. It also includes many rare books and examples of 19th and 20th century writings.

Additionally, Special Collections at OWU houses artifacts such as pre-Columbian pottery from Bolivia, Anasazi and Lower Mississippi culture pottery, Asian and African artifacts, oriental carpets, chinaware, and paintings.

Noteworthy individual collections include:

The Bayley / Walt Whitman Collection, including first editions and photographs (view library catalog listings*)
The Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning Collection, including books from their own library, art, and furniture (view library catalog listings*)
The Leland Schubert Collection of 1920s imprint first editions (view library catalog listings*)
The Gunsaulus medieval manuscripts and incunabula collection (view selected listings and digital exhibit)
The Kate Greenaway Collection (view library catalog listings*)
The Spanish Civil War Collection (view library catalog listings*)
The Jaccaud Collection of Presidential Campaign Literature (view library catalog listings*)
Early 20th century sheet music
The Paula B. and Thomas W. Harvey Collection of Civil War Letters (view digitized collection)
19th century photographs of the American Southwest
The Kelley circus and theater promotional materials collection
Asian art and artifacts (view digital images of selected OWU items on the ASIANetwork)

*Please note that library catalog listings do not include all materials in a collection, especially any nonbook materials.

Visitors

We welcome visitors to use our collections. You will find our Reading Room on the second floor of Beeghly Library. In order to better serve you, please contact us in advance in order to discuss materials, use, and Reading Room hours.

OWU Instructors: Using Special Collections in Your Courses

Are you an OWU professor or instructor who would like to use some of our rare books, manuscripts, or artifacts to augment your course instruction? Would you like to have a librarian teach your students about some of our interesting historical and cultural objects? Would your students benefit from a guided visit to our Special Collections? Would you like to build a course assignment around some of our materials? Do you just want to learn more about what a librarian can do for your courses, or what's in Special Collections? If so, please contact us at x3288 or fill out this form: https://goo.gl/forms/ljArUyZNyM5Xh0hl2. We look forward to working with you!