A manuscript from 1297 titled “”The Art of Spelling”” sits pristinely archived deep within Geisel Library. In a nearby drawer is a prenuptial agreement scroll written on vellum, dated 1625. Complete runs of Occident and Spain, Gen. Francisco Franco’s propaganda newspapers published in Paris, New York and London, await researchers in gloves to call them out of hiding.
Most students are not aware that among UCSD’s 11 libraries resides a special collections library that holds millions of academic treasures. Mandeville Special Collections Library contains approximately 250,000 books and nearly 38 million manuscripts, all of which are unique either in their age, rarity or status as the original copy.
Regardless of one’s major, this special collections library can be useful for research, offering manuscripts and books that are the basics or abstractions of art, math, science, literature, poetry and politics.
“”All of our collections are in support of some academic interest of UCSD,”” special collections director Lynda Claassen said. “”These collections are not just collected because they are old or rare.””
Whether it is the original papers of Francis Crick, who jointly discovered DNA, or a third-edition 17th-century work by Copernicus complete with annotations in the margins, the collection holds a variety of finds that complement all fields of study.
Claassen says many of these collections are unique because of the human element that can be found within. In many books, one is able to trace the ownership and the places the book has traveled. One book about the ascent of Mount Everest is signed by those who went on the expedition.
Although most of the books that find their way into the special collections were printed before 1801, some unique contemporary works are kept in the special collections for preservation and to have in the collection forever.
The special collections library is not limited to books and manuscripts. Artwork is also preserved in special collections, including about 10,000 original drawings by Dr. Seuss. One can find artistic books, including one narrative written on kimonos strung between two sticks of bamboo. There are also thousands of audio tapes, maps, films, newspapers, photographs and more original art.
Mandeville Special Collections Library also houses the UCSD archives. Any time a guest speaker visits UCSD, their reading or lecture is taped and placed in the special collections for future access. Also, some of the works of UCSD professors, including the work done when they were undergraduates, can be found in the special collections library.
Due to the value of the books, this library is not an open stack, but all students are able to use any of these collections as resources by going to the library and telling a staff member what they are looking for or by filling out a call card. Many of the pieces are so delicate that they cannot be stored in places with constant light, so the librarian will locate the piece that is called for in a room that is kept cold and dark. The librarian then brings it to the student, who must stay in a designated room for their research. Some of the pieces are so old, delicate or rare that one must wear gloves in order to handle and preserve them.
Lucy Martin, a senior art history major at Earl Warren College, makes use of the special collections library not only for her research but also for her own enjoyment. She says that visiting the special collections library is a great opportunity, and access to such rare and important pieces should be viewed as a privilege.
“”I think people should take advantage of it,”” Martin said. “”One of the benefits of being at this school is having these research materials. People come from all over the world to visit our special collections library.””
This library receives about half of its use from UCSD students or staff and the other half from visiting scholars, who come because of the unique pieces, some of which they cannot find anywhere else. Many students only find out about the special collections library through a course that directs them to it or brings it to them, or if they are assigned a research project.
Pieces in the special collections library such as artist books, ëzines and chatbooks, as well as other forms of work that combine literature and art to relay the author/artist’s meaning, have aided Martin’s research. Her interest is in the essence of such works, how they circulated or disappeared, what made them successful in relaying meaning, and how they made their way into the special collections. She is very enthusiastic about the resources available and believes that many others can find something of interest in the special collections library like she has.
Mandeville Special Collections Library is located on the west wing on the main floor of Geisel Library. There is always a different exhibit outside of its doors with some of its own collections and sometimes of works that the library is borrowing. The library is able to present these exhibits through the profit made from lending out pieces of the UCSD collection to institutions around the United States.
The current exhibit celebrates the 100th birthday anniversary of Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. This celebration will be carried out through the end of 2004 with three main exhibits.
The first exhibition, “”The Dr. Seuss You Never Knew,”” opened Jan. 5 and will run through March 27. It includes the author’s earliest works, such as World War II cartoons and other advertising and magazine works from the 1920s and ë30s.
The second exhibition, titled “”Dr. Seuss Between the Covers,”” will run from May 24 to Sept. 4, presenting the children’s books that brought him much of his fame. The last exhibit will appear in late fall, titled “”The Cat in the Hat for President,”” and will be a tribute to Dr. Seuss and his creations, celebrating their impact on the American life and imagination.
Curiosities about Dr. Seuss and many other topics can be cured with a trip to the special collections library, and what better time is there to go than during all the celebration of Dr. Seuss?
Claassen encourages everyone to come investigate and find something they are interested in.
“”There is something for everybody here,”” Claassen said.
For more information about the collections, including the Baja California Collection, the Southworth Spanish Civil War Collection, the Dr. Seuss Collection, as well as to get information about present and future exhibits and collection pieces in general, visit http://libraries.ucsd.edu. Mandeville Special Collections Library is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.