Poole Collection

Poole Collection. A major academic library collection specializing in the history of the book and English literature, housed within the University of Chicago Library. Its core was formed from the extensive private library of renowned librarian and bibliographer William Frederick Poole, acquired by the university following his death. The collection has since grown into a premier research resource, documenting the evolution of printing, publishing, and literary culture from the incunabula period through the nineteenth century.

History

The foundation was laid with the 1927 purchase of the personal library of William Frederick Poole, famed for creating Poole's Index to Periodical Literature and serving as head of the Chicago Public Library and the Newberry Library. Under the guidance of university librarian J. Christian Bay, the acquisition was strategically made to bolster the University of Chicago's graduate studies in English literature. Subsequent growth was significantly shaped by the stewardship of bibliographer Herman Ralph Mead, who actively expanded its scope in bibliography and printing history. Key additions included the Stephen A. Fornaro collection on John Milton and substantial materials from the estate of scholar Ronald Brunlees McKerrow, a founder of the Bibliographical Society.

Holdings

Its holdings encompass over 200,000 volumes, with particular strength in British literature from the Renaissance to the Victorian era. The collection is renowned for its extensive runs of early English drama, including works by William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, and Christopher Marlowe. It possesses significant incunabula and early printed books, along with a robust assemblage of 18th-century novels and periodicals. Notable sub-collections include the Lucius Wilmerding library on color printing and the John Henry Nash collection on fine printing and typography. The archives also contain important manuscripts, bookbinding specimens, and publisher's records.

Significance and impact

The collection is internationally recognized as a vital resource for scholars in the fields of historical bibliography and book history. It has supported seminal research by figures like Fredson Bowers and G. Thomas Tanselle, contributing to the development of textual criticism as a discipline. Its materials are frequently cited in major scholarly projects such as the English Short Title Catalogue and the History of the Book in Britain series. The presence of the collection at the University of Chicago has been instrumental in building the university's reputation in humanities research and has influenced the curriculum of the Department of English Language and Literature.

Management and access

The collection is curated by the Special Collections Research Center at the University of Chicago Library. It is maintained in climate-controlled stacks within the Joseph Regenstein Library. Access is provided to researchers, students, and visiting scholars through the center's reading room, with materials available for on-site consultation. While the collection is non-circulating, digitization initiatives have made select items available through the university's online digital repository. Curatorial oversight includes ongoing preservation efforts for fragile materials and the development of detailed finding aids.

Related collections and partnerships

Within the University of Chicago Library, it has strong synergies with the John Crerar Library's history of science collections and the Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections. In the broader Chicago academic landscape, it maintains a collaborative relationship with the Newberry Library, particularly its wing on the history of printing. The collection also participates in consortial initiatives with the Center for Research Libraries and the Big Ten Academic Alliance, facilitating resource sharing. Its holdings complement other major collections of English literature such as those at the Huntington Library, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the British Library. Category:Special collections libraries Category:Book and manuscript collections Category:University of Chicago