Special Collections at Gutman Library

Overview

This collection of nearly 45,000 elementary and secondary textbooks covers subject areas from agriculture to zoology. The collection contains materials published in the United States in English from 1776 through 1985. A small number of European imprints in foreign languages are also included.

This collection also contains a number of textbooks focused on reading and teaching literacy, also known as readers or basal readers. Harvard Library's Open Collection Program entitled Reading: Harvard Views of Readers, Readership and Reading History may also be of interest to users.

Finding Content

To search within the Historical Textbooks Collection:

1. Visit the HOLLIS library catalog
2. Click “Advanced Search”
3. Select “Library Catalog"
4. To view all titles in the Historical Textbooks Collection:
   1. In the first drop-down, select “Code: Library+Collection”
   2. Enter: guthdspect
   3. If you want to see digitized content, refine your results to show only online material
5. To search within the Historical Textbooks Collection:
   1. In the first drop-down, select “Code: Library+Collection”
   2. Enter: guthdspect
   3. Add one or more search terms to the additional search fields, such as "United States" and "history" for US history textbooks
   4. If you want to see digitized content, refine your results to show only online material
   5. Use the filters to limit your search--for example, for online materials or in a particular date range.

 

See HOLLIS Quick Tips for other advice on how to save searches, search results and more.

Microfilm Format

Approximately 10,000 textbooks were microfilmed as part of a National Endowment for the Humanities grant. The microfilm reels are available in Gutman Library and can be found by searching HOLLIS.

Outside institutions may borrow microfilm reels through Interlibrary Loan. Copies of reels may be purchased through Harvard Library Imaging Services. The HOLLIS record for each filmed titles contains a filming note and gives the reel and master negative numbers.

Other Historical Textbook Collections

• Abilene Christian University (Abilene, TX). Brown Library. Early-Day Textbooks.
• American Antiquarian Society (Worcester, MA). Pedagogical Texts. 
• Bridgewater State University. Special Collections. Early Children's Book Collection.
• Butler University (Indianapolis, IN). Dellinger Education Collection.
• Center for Research Libraries (Chicago, IL). Textbook Collection.
• Hofstra University (Hempstead, NY). Rare Books and Manuscripts. Nila Banton Smith Historical Collection in Reading.
• Illinois State University (Normal). Special Collections and Rare Books. Historical Textbook Collection.
• Indiana State University (Terra Haute). Cunningham Collection.
• Jones Library (Amherst, MA). Special Collections. Clifton Johnson Schoolbook Collection.
• Kansas State University (Manhattan). Special Collections. Smith American Geography and Social Studies Education Collection.
• Library of Congress (Washington, DC) Rare Books and Special Collections Division. McGuffey Reader Collection.
• Miami University (Oxford, OH). Walter Havighurst Special Collections Library.
  • Edgar and Faith King Juvenile Literature Collection
  • William Holmes McGuffey and the McGuffey Eclectic Readers
• Millersville University (Millersville, PA). Special Collections and Archives. Wickersham Pedagogical Collection.
• National Library of Education (Washington, DC). Textbooks Collection.
• Ohio University (Athens). Archives and Special Collections. Textbook Collection.
• Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA). Cubberley Education Library. Historical Textbooks.
• State University of New York at Oneonta. Special Collections. Early American Textbook Collection.
• Teachers College, Columbia University (New York, NY). Gottesman Libraries. Curriculum Materials Collection.
• Trinity College (Hartford, CT). Watkinson Library. Barnard Collection of School Textbooks.
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Education and Science Library. Curriculum Collection.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • North Carolina Collection
  • Digitized Textbooks from the Confederate States of America
• University of Minnesota (Minneapolis). Children's Literature Research Collection.
• University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA). Special Collections. Nietz Old Textbook Collection: 19th Century Schoolbooks.
• University of South Carolina (Columbia). Rare Books and Special Collections. William Savage Textbook Collection.
• University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg). De Grummond Children's Literature Collection.
• University of Texas at Austin. Libraries. K-12 Textbook Collection.

Modern Textbook Collections

• Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA). Educational Resource Center.
• Bridgewater State University (Bridgewater, MA). Educational Resource Center.
• Framingham State University (Framingham, MA). Curriculum Library.
• Lesley University (Cambridge, MA). Teaching Resources Collection.

Questions?

Use our Ask Us form to learn more.