The Kelvin Smith Library is home to 50,000 rare books, hundreds of manuscript collections and thousands of photos that attract attention from researchers, students, faculty and curiosity seekers worldwide.
Among the many treasures in its Special Collections and Archives are a first-edition book by Galileo; collections of major authors of English, French, Spanish and American literature including Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass and Ernest Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea; a history of books collection including a cuneiform tablet, fragments of papyri and medieval manuscripts; and an extensive history of science and technology collection. Special Collections and Archives is also home to the archives of the university, as well as other area cultural organizations including the Cleveland Play House.
Photo credit: Matt Shiffler
But collections don’t have to be old or rare to be interesting or special. On Tuesday, April 13, guest lecturer Rebecca Romney, a rare book dealer, appraiser, author and specialist on the History channel’s Pawn Stars, will explore this idea during the library-sponsored livestream lecture, “Mythbusting Book Collecting.”
It’s the latest book collecting event from Kelvin Smith Library, which sponsors contests and speakers annually to help students become accomplished bibliophiles and show them what’s possible in a pastime not typically associated with college-aged students.
“We hope that our book collecting events will ignite students to follow their passions in their own collecting,” said William Claspy, head of Special Collections and Archives. “Our goal is to encourage students both to become collectors, but also to think about how they might already be collectors. We want to celebrate book collecting of all kinds, and show that you don’t need to have fabulously expensive, rare, first editions to be considered a collector.”
Romney said she became interested in rare books by accident when she answered a help wanted advertisement from a rare book dealer and successfully applied for the position, despite having no experience in the field. Now she wants to ensure that others feel welcome to enter the world of rare books and book collecting. She also wants to dispel common myths such as the idea that book collecting has to be expensive.
“A collector’s restrictions are based more on their own interests and creativity,” she said. “A lot of things people think are barriers to collecting are not. For example, you don’t need a lot of money to collect or a big library. You don’t have to collect expensive books.”
Book collecting provides a new way to enjoy the things that interest you most, whether “it’s a particular era in history, design and architecture, your hometown, science or medicine,” Romney said.
“When I do a lecture like this, the end goal I want is to have everyone’s gears turning and asking themselves, what could i collect, this is what i’m interested in—could that be something to collect? That kind of momentum is what a lecture like this seeks to create,” she added.
“Mythbusting Book Collecting” with Rebecca Romney is Tuesday, April 13, at 5 p.m. It is free and open to all; the virtual event will be livestreamed. Register to attend.
If you’d like to explore Kelvin Smith Library’s Special Collections, use the library’s catalog to search for rare books, ArchivesSpace to search through archival collections and Digital Case to see digitized items. Staff is always happy to help you navigate and explore our collections. They are available by phone at 216.368.0189 or email at kslspecialcollections@case.edu.