Rare Book Collection

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The Rare Book Collection at UNC-Chapel Hill began in 1929, when the University acquired nearly 400 books printed in Europe before 1501. Today, the collection includes close to 200,000 printed volumes, as well as substantial holdings of original graphics, medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, and literary and historical papers.

The RBC’s diverse materials sustain the study of such varied topics as the New World cronistas, English and Irish literature, French history, fine printing, Spanish drama, World Wars I and II, the Beat movement, the Russian Diaspora, Maya civilization, the Greek and Latin classics, as well as American popular culture.

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