Rare Books

Finding rare books and other special items

The majority of our rare books and other special materials can be found using the online library catalog. For more precision, use the link below to search only items in the Rare Books Collection. Contact us at rad@colorado.edu for additional assistance.

Search only the Rare Books Collection

Rare Books houses rare works and contemporary artworks that support teaching and research in the arts, humanities and sciences. These special collections include rare books, medieval manuscripts, contemporary artists’ books, and a signature photobook and photography collection. Special subject collections reflect the interests and research of the CU-Boulder community and the state.

Rare Books' collections are non-circulating; we are happy to consult with you about accessing materials via our Reading Room (information about visiting and using our collections). We have an active instruction program and welcome requests from Front Range educational communities.

Rare books collection strengths

Artist Books

Children's Literature

East Asian Materials

History of Science

Photography

Print Technologies

Artist Books Children's Literature and Education East Asian Historical Materials History of Science Photography, 1840-Present Print Technologies

Artist Books

A growing collection of book arts and fine press printing from the middle of the twentieth century to the present.

Children's Literature and Education

A large collection of 19th- and early-20th-century books for children (particularly fairy tales, educational materials, and miniature books).

East Asian Historical Materials

A growing collection of historical materials from China, Japan and Korea.

History of Science

A robust collection of European and American works on the development of scientific disciplines. Includes first edition or early works of scientists such as Galileo, Newton, and Darwin, but also those who popularized science such as Jane Marcet. Highlights include:

The D.K. Bailey Collection holds rare early-modern and modern works focused on the sciences, geography, and travel.

Photography, 1840-Present

A collection of nearly 50,000 books and thousands of original photographs documenting the history of photographic processes, as well as 20th-century and modern fine art photography books. Highlights include:

The Alan Scuba Photobook Collection is a discreet collection of travel and ethnographic photobooks and includes many 20th-century photography exhibition catalogs. The collection is fully catalogued and accessible in the online catalog.
The David H. Tippit Collection contains first editions of the seminal photobooks of the twentieth century, as well as numerous contemporary photobook titles. The collection is fully catalogued and accessible in the online catalog.
The David H. Tippit Body Collection of serials and monographs traces the human body in the late 19th century and 20th century in genres that range from dance, exercise guides, body art, and early anatomy texts. The collection is not yet cataloged.
The Ira Wolff Photographic History Collection: a major scholarly resource for the study of the history of photography and early photographic processes. Only a small portion of this collection is currently catalogued in the online catalog. A list of titles is available on request.
The Ira Wolff Photo-Illustrated Children’s Book Collection was developed using From the mundane to the magical : photographically illustrated children's books, 1854-1945 and beyond by Mus White as a collection development guide. The collection is not yet cataloged but a list of titles is available on request.