The Rare Book Collections contains over 4,000 volumes published from the 16th thru the 21st centuries. Among these are a unique collection of 18th century English books and dictionaries created by Dr. Samuel Johnson and his contemporaries, a small collection of contemporary artist’s books, and books pertaining to the American West, the Intermountain West, and Idaho. All of the books, including the sub-collections, are searchable using the Library Catalog.
Sub-collections in Rare Books
- Book Arts Collection - a selection of over 130 contemporary artist’s books
- Early English Dictionaries Collection - a small collection of dictionaries ranging from a 1670 publication of Glossographia to modern reprints
- FOOLs (Friends of Oboler Library) Collection of Censored Books
- H. Alan Robinson Readers Collection
- Dr. Johnson and His Circle of Friends Collections - Samuel Johnson LL.D. (1709-1784), often referred to simply as Dr. Johnson, was one of England's greatest literary figures: a poet, essayist, biographer, lexicographer, and often esteemed the finest literary critic in English
