The University Library holds many thousands of early children’s books amongst its copyright holdings. Most of its nineteenth-century children’s books are in remarkably good condition having been considered ‘secondary’ when they first arrived.
All pre-1919 books should be searchable via the iDiscover catalogue. If you can’t find a book, ask staff for help as there are also card catalogues of many collections.
Most of these early books are fetched to the Rare Books department and the online record will give you the details; a few more post-1900 titles may be fetched to the West Room.
Specific collections of interest include the Chapbooks collection, CCA-E.7, which includes around 1500 early children’s books and the Waddleton collection of colour printed books which includes large numbers of picture books; and theChadwyck-Healey Liberation Collection 1944-1946 (c. 400 French-language titles, often illustrated, mainly produced in France and Belgium at the end of the Second World War).
Access
All University Library readers can use the Rare Books department. If you are a member of the University you are automatically eligible to use the University Library.
Contact us
Rare Books Department, University Library, West Road, CB3 9DR
Collection
Access
Rare Books Department, University Library, West Road, CB3 9DR
01223 333122
