Introducing Rare Books into the Undergraduate Curriculum

A relatively recent exchange on the Exlibris listserv inspired me to write this paper. 1 Julia Walworth, Fellow Librarian at Merton College, University of Oxford, asked about other librarians’ experiences in introducing special collections—and rare books in particular—to undergraduate students. 2 In a nostalgic note, several members of the list responded to Dr. Walworth's inquiry by referring to a course entitled “Fine Arts 5e” that was taught from 1915 through 1932 by George Parker Winship in the Widener Library at Harvard University. 3 Other responses were more pragmatic in nature, addressing the needs of today's undergraduates. Lori N. Curtis, then Head . . .