Treasures of Children's Literature at Miami University, Janet Stuckey

In one of the more vibrant and enthusiastic presentations, Janet Stuckey, Head of Special Collections and Archives at Miami University spoke about the children's literature treasures that are a part of King Library's special collections. The highlight of Janet's presentation was the hands-on opportunity to view items from the Edgar W. & Faith King Collection of Juvenile Literature. Janet provided valuable examples of historical children's literature from the collection for viewing; Horn Books, Primers, McGuffey readers, and juvenile wartime propaganda were among the offerings.

"Discover the King Collection of over 10,000 children's books and magazines printed from the seventeenth century thorugh the early 1900s, providing insight into the activities of children for about 300 years."

"The Walter Havighurst Special Collections houses one of the most extensive collections of the McGuffey Eclectic Readers. These works mirror the changes in the educational process in 19th Century America. These resources are suported by an additional 5,00 schoolbooks published in numerous subject areas from the late 1790s up to the early 1900s." (The Walter Havighurst Special Collections, Flyer, 5/1/07)

After listening to this presentation, it is no wonder one of the most popular stops for education and English literature students is the special collections. As Janet said, they have "lots of cool old stuff!"

For more information on King Libraries Special Collections, visit their website.

Tags: ALAO, CMCIG, CMCIG workshop, Janet Stuckey, Walter Havighurst Special Collections,King Library Miami University