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Search Butler University Libraries online catalog for materials held by the department of Special Collections, Rare Books, and University Archives:
Rare Books
The Rare Books collection contains items dating as far back as 1473. Some collecting strengths include South Pacific Peoples and cultures during the 18th and 19th centuries (William F. Charters South Seas Collection), 19th-century French political activist Madame de Stael (Esther A. Renfrew Paddock Madame de Stael Collection), early educational textbooks and materials (Dellinger Education Collection), herbology and botanists, and Indigenous Peoples in North America. In addition, the department’s reference section contains information on Butler University history, local history of Indianapolis and Indiana, rare book history and fine bindings, and archives management.
When evaluating a call number for an item in Special Collections, here are some unique identifiers that help locate the item in a specific shelving location:
Collection names that are included as part of an item's call number (e.g. Charters, Charters Addition, Dellinger, Dellinger Addition, etc.) do not mean that those items are shelved separately from other books in Special Collections. The way the department's items are catalogued uses the shelving location field--which populates as part of an item's call number--to group materials in the same collection together.
Below is information on some of the larger rare-book collections held in Special Collections.
William F. Charters collected books on the history and cultures of the South Seas and its native peoples. Upon his death in 1931, he donated his book collection to Butler University. Special Collections continues to add books to an addition of the collection to support this collecting area.
Searching in the Online Catalog
To search the collection in the online catalog:
1. Go to butler.edu/library.
2. Select "Advanced Search."
3. In the "Search Term" field for "Search Index" selection of "Keyword," type "b8:(Charters)" (this will narrow the results to only books within the Charters South Seas Collection (original donation)and the Charters Additions Collection (books added after the original donation).
4. (OPTIONAL) Directly below on the next line, make sure "Operator" is selected as "AND", "Search Index" is "Keyword," and then input your desired keyword search in the field "Search Term."
5. In the "Held By Library" section (towards the bottom of the page), click the box for "Special Collections" (this will narrow the results to books only held within Special Collections).
6. Click "Search."
Additional Information
George Dellinger collected late-19th and early-20th century textbooks, which he donated to Special Collections. Dellinger also worked in Special Collections after donating his collection. Special Collections adds new materials to an addition of this collection to support this collecting area.
Searching in the Online Catalog
To search the collection in the online catalog:
1. Go to butler.edu/library.
2. Select "Advanced Search."
3. In the "Search Term" field for "Search Index" selection of "Keyword," type "b8:(Dellinger)" (this will narrow the results to only show books within the Dellinger Textbook Collection).
4. (OPTIONAL) Directly below on the next line, make sure "Operator" is selected as "AND," "Search Index" is "Keyword," and then input your desired keyword search in the field "Search Term."
5. In the "Held By Library" section (towards the bottom of the page), click the box for "Special Collections" (this will narrow the results to books only held within Special Collections).
6. Click "Search."
The Madame de Stael Research Collection is a department-maintained collection of secondary sources about the life of Madame de Stael, a political activist during the French Revolution. Special Collections continues to add contemporary publications to support this collecting area.
This research collection supplements another collection held by the department: the Esther A. Renfrew Paddock Madame de Stael Collection (MSS 029). Esther A. Renfrew Paddock was a Butler University French professor who donated her research materials-and some primary source materials-about Madame de Stael after her retirement in 1978
Searching in the Online Catalog
To search the related materials in the online catalog (and to receive the most results):
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