Rare Books 101

Laurier Archives and Special Collections holds and maintains over 1,000 rare books, ranging from centuries old (say, 1397) to today. Our rare books come in many different forms, including, but not limited to:

• Manuscripts – material which is written or copied down by hand.
• Printed books – material created via printing press or another typographical process.
• Facsimiles – an exact copy of a rare book, often used for teaching.
• Music scores – a manuscript or printed document detailing information such as scale/mode and any accompaniment.

Rare books are not simply old books. Several criteria are considered when determining whether a book is rare.

• Age – a book’s age does not automatically make it rare. It can, however, contribute to its prevalence or significance in history. 
• Prevalence – factors like early editions, misprints, and limited runs contribute to the rarity of a book. Few copies of a book make it, by definition, rare.
• Condition – rare books have often spent much of their lives in not ideal conditions. The closer to its original condition, the rarer a book is. The climate and handling of rare books is incredibly important to prevent further condition issues.
• Provenance – the past ownership of a book, especially if it’s been signed or annotated by a notable person, increases a book’s rarity.
• Notables Features – some books have characteristics such as decorative end papers and embossed covers which make them rare.

At the library, rare books can be found in Omni the same way you would a traditional library book. You can search for books using key words or its LC Call Number – an alphanumeric system libraries use to categorize books. Rare books are identified with the location code: Rare Books-1st Floor.

Rare books are non-circulating, meaning they cannot be loaned like other library materials. Please visit Laurier Archives and Special Collections to view a rare book. Additionally, Laurier Archives and Special Collections staff are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding any rare books in our holdings.

Proper handling of rare books is incredibly important to their preservation. By maintaining good practices, you ensure that others can enjoy these books for years to come. Here are some things to keep in mind during your visit to Archives and Special Collections reading room:

• Washed and dried hands are the best for handling rare books.
• No food or drink in the reading room.
• Pencils only! 
• If needed, Laurier Archives and Special Collections staff will provide you with book snakes or cradles/pillows to gently hold the book in place.
• Handle the books and their pages gently, you cannot flip through rare books like you could a brand-new book.
• Follow any instructions or advice from Laurier Archives and Special Collections staff.

Below are examples of our collecting areas with a few selected titles (with LC Call Numbers).

Music

• Stenciled plainchant manuscript antiphonary: M2147 XVIII M1
• Teseo : opera in cinque atti : al teatro del Re nel mercato del fieno a Londra nell' anno 1713 / la musica del signor G.F. Handel: M1500.H3 T4 1788 
• M. Cazalet, 1777: M2.M112

Women Studies

• L'histoire du costume feminin de l'an 1037 a l'an 1870: GT850.G5
• The arts of beauty, or, Secrets of a lady's toilet : with hints to gentlemen on the art of fascinating / by Madame Lola Montez, countess of Landsfeld: RA778.M75 1858
• The Victoria regia : a volume of original contributions in poetry and prose / edited by Adelaide A. Procter: PR1223.V49 1861
• [Official record of a legal investigation [manuscript] : Beatrice, daughter of Guecellone da Camino : conducted by Riccardo of Valvasone on behalf of Patriarch Antonio I of Aquileia]: KKH5669.6. N6

Zines

• We have an ever-growing collection of zines from K-W and the surrounding areas. Make a visit to the Archives and Special Collections to view them.

Lutheranism

• Army and navy service book : for public and private use: M2126. A74
• Luther’s Bible: BS239. 1770b / 1725 / 1711
• Saemtliche Schriften : sowol in Deutscher als Lateinischer Sprache verfertigte / herausgegeben von Johann Georg Walch: BR330. A2 1740

Local History/Local Printing

• Neue illustrirte Familien Bibel : fuer haeusliche Erbauung und Belehrung. Enthaltend das Alte und Neue Testament, mit den Apokryphen, der Concordanz und Randparallelen, nach Martin Luther's Uebersetzung / mit einer Einleitung von A. Martin: BS239. 1874
• A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin : as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character / by Ezra E. Eby: FC3095.W38Z48
• Homer Watson, the man of Doon, by Muriel Miller... foreword by Sir Wyly Grier. / Homer Watson, artist and man / Frank E. Page; foreword by Ross Hamilton: ND249. W3M5 / W3P3

Environmentalism

• Antarctica / Pat & Rosemarie Keough: G860.K45 2002
• Narratives of nature, and history book for young naturalists / by the author of "Sketches from nature," "The Young emigrants," "Stepbrothers," "Prejudice reproved," "Juvenile forget-me-not," and "Nursery fables.": QH48.T73 1844
• Picturesque Canada the country as it was and is : with over 500 engravings on wood / edited by George Munro Grant ; illustrated under the supervision of L. R. O'Brien: FC70.P5
• The Russulas: QK629. R9A7

Indigenous

The following books may include outdated language and ideas that are no longer used or appropriate today. Although we cannot change the content of the books themselves, Archives and Special Collections staff are actively working to inform researchers of the presence of this language to combat bias in our collections and institutions.

• Biography and history of the Indians of North America, from its first discovery: E77. D79 1848
• Wanderings of an artist among the Indians of North America : from Canada to Vancouver's Island and Oregon through the Hudson's Bay Company's territory and back again / by Paul Kane: E88. K3 
• A collection of Ojebway and English hymns, for the use of the native Indians = Ojebway nuhguhmonun, kanuhnuhguhmowahjin egewh uhneshenahbaig / translated by the late Rev. Peter Jones, Wesleyan Indian Missionary, to which are added a few hymns translated by the Rev. James Evans and George Henry: BV510. O45 C65 1877
• Memoir of the distinguished Mohawk Indian Chief, sachem and warrior, Capt. Joseph Brant / William E. Palmer ; compiled from the most reliable and authentic records ; including a brief history of the principal events of his life, with an appendix and portrait: E99. M8 B873