Children's Collections at Rare Books and Special Collections

Selected Collections

• American Antiquarian Society: the Children's Literature collection - Numbering over 26,000 volumes, the collection chronicles the emergence of an American literature for children.
  • Collection of note: Largest repository of McLoughlin Brothers materials.
• Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books - Toronto Public Library

  • Holds over 80,000 rare and notable modern children's books.

• Cotsen Children's Library - Princeton University Library
  • An international research collection of illustrated children's books, manuscripts, original artwork, prints, and educational toys from the 15th century to the present day.
• Children's Literature Collection - University of British Columbia
• The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection - University of Mississippi
  • The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection is one of North America's leading research centers in the field of children's literature. Although the Collection has many strengths, the main focus is on American and British children's literature, historical and contemporary. Founded in 1966 by Dr. Lena Y. de Grummond, the Collection holds the original manuscripts and illustrations of more than 1,400 authors and illustrators, as well as over 200,000 published books dating from 1530 to the present.
  • Archival Collection of note: The McLoughlin Brothers papers
• Kerlan Collection, Chidlren's Literature Research Collections
  • Holds books, manuscripts, illustrations, comic books, story papers, and other materials related to the creation of historical and modern children's literature, including manuscripts and original artwork.
• Library of Congress: Children's Literature Center 
• University of Michigan Children's Literature Collection 
• Opie Collection, Bodleian Library, Oxford University - The Library holds the Opie Collection, which was acquired in 1988 and contains approximately 20,000 children's books printed between the 16th and 20th centuries.

Selected Digital Collections 

• Children's Library - Internet Archive - Books for children from multiple library and collections worldwide.
• Children's Literature and Culture - Children’s Literature and Culture is a unique, robust, and visually stunning primary source collection that documents this literature and print culture. Bridging the didactic chapbook era of the long eighteenth century with the plot- and image-driven books of the early twentieth century, and covering many other document types in between, the material in this resource will be essential to students and researchers interested in a broad spread of topics. Contributing Collections: American Antiquarian society, Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library.
• Historical Children's Literature Collection - University of British Columbia  - Featuring materials from RBSC’s historical children’s literature holdings, including the Arkley Collection of Early and Historical Children's Literature, the collection is particularly strong in chapbooks and early Canadian content.
• Library of Congress Children's Books Selections - This special collection presents children’s books selected from the General and Rare Book Collections at the Library of Congress. The collection includes classic works that are still read by children today, and lesser-known treasures drawn from the Library’s extensive collection of historically significant children’s books. The books in this collection were published in the United States and England before 1924, are no longer under copyright, and free to read, share, and reuse however you’d like.
• University of Washington Historical Children's Literature Collection - The Historical Children's Literature database chronicles by example the history of educational practice and reading, and the changing perceptions of gender, race and class and the role of religion in teaching. Both European and American books from the 18th to the 20th c. are represented in this collection.