“But it’s a labor intensive process involving a lot of unique challenges. We’re able to bring out these hidden and sometimes forgotten resources for people to enjoy again,” Stuckey said. “We’re making ‘cool old stuff’ available to new generations. Some of the collections, including Shakespeare’s Folios, have been made available online at, but Stuckey says there is much work to be done. His collection is considered one of the largest in the area and adds to an already extensive collection contributed 20 years ago by Charles Shields - a collection obtained with Bowden’s assistance.Īccording to Stuckey, the library benefits not only from those who contribute rare collections but also from those who provide the crucial funding that assists the staff in processing and restoring the collections and making them accessible to the public. Approximately 70,000 cards are international in scope.īowden, a 1952 Miami graduate, is a retired librarian from the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, who resides in Cincinnati.
The rare collection documents more than 100 years of American life, geography and cultural history. and range in date from the 1890s to 1970. The Clyde Bowden Postcard Collection – This rare and historic collection features more than 180,000 postcards collected by Clyde N. From his familiarity with the collection, Goble is able to fill in gaps and contribute extensively to one of the nation’s most comprehensive Russian collections. He also has worked with the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Central Intelligence Agency, and he has been honored with the highest awards of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian governments for his role in promoting the recovery of their independence.Ī student of André de Saint-Rat, Miami’s first professor of Russian language, Goble is contributing to the already extensive de Saint-Rat Collection of Russian history, literature and art. The Paul Goble Russian Collection – Goble, a 1970 Miami graduate, is a globally respected authority on Russian and Baltic affairs who served as a special advisor to former Secretary of State James A. He has authored a number of books and is a three-time winner of Maryland Sportscaster of the Year. Patterson has previously contributed to Miami’s Cradle of Coaches collection.Ī long-time radio sports director who recently retired after an extensive career as a color commentator, producer, and writer, Patterson is a respected authority on the ‘golden voices of sports’ as well as Baltimore sports history. The Ted Patterson Collection of Sports Broadcasting History – Provided by long-time Baltimore sports personality Ted Patterson, who earned his graduate degree from Miami in 1968, this collection features an array of one-of-a kind recorded interviews with legendary sports commentators as well as recordings of historic sports moments and other memorable broadcasts. This is reflected, as well as the eclectic nature of the Havighurst Special Collections, in three of the library’s latest acquisitions, valued at more than $275,000: From the cabinets that house the various collections, to the equipment that enables the staff to digitize the collections, to the actual collections themselves, everything has been donated or made possible through private support. Perhaps more impressive is that almost everything within the Havighurst Special Collections has been made possible through alumni and friends of the university. We have all sorts of jewels, and there’s something for everyone.” In some cases, we hold the only existing copy in the world.
“In a lot of cases we have items that can’t be found anywhere else in Ohio or the region. “It’s not what people expect when they think about Miami and southwestern Ohio,” Stuckey said. Of course the library is also a repository of history for Old Miami, the city of Oxford, and the Miami Tribe. Railroads, and 19th and 20th-century American children’s literature. It spans 18 different languages and features some of the nation’s most comprehensive collections on a breadth of subject matter, including the Third Reich, U.S.
Perhaps that’s a dramatic understatement of a prized collection featuring more than 65,000 volumes, plus manuscripts and other timeless archival collections, but Stuckey couldn’t be more right.Ĭontained within about 11,000 square feet on the third floor of King Library is Miami’s hidden gem – a remarkable collection ranging from a 600-year old Ethiopian prayer book to Paul Brown’s handwritten playbooks. Havighurst Special Collections Library a Hidden Miami GemAsk Janet Stuckey what she does as Head of Special Collections for the Walter Havighurst Special Collections Library, and she’ll be quick to tell you that she works with ‘really cool old stuff.’