Special Collections is the home for the rare book collections of the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries. Over 75,000 titles strong, the collections cover a variety of subject matters across many eras. From an illuminated Book of Hours from 1480, to facsimile recreations of Aztec and Maya codices, to a signed first edition of Nobel Prize winning Toni Morrison’s Beloved, there is always something captivating to be found in Special Collections.
Our Collection strengths include:
- American Civil War
- Fugitive and Agrarian literary groups
- George Peabody College history
- History of Playing Cards and Games
- Latin American history and culture
- LGBTQ+ culture, history, and literature
- Southern literature and civilization
- Performing arts
- Religion
- Vanderbilt University history
Our collections are open to the Vanderbilt community by appointment, for the researcher or the curious book lover alike. Books can be viewed in the Special Collections Reading Room, located on the second floor of the Central Library. To request a book, browse the Library Catalog and click on the “Request” button. Please note that due to the size of our collections, many items are stored off-site and it may take a full business day or more to process the request.
Please look at our Visit Us page for advice about how best to plan your visit.
Interested in using rare books from our collections for a class? Please visit our Schedule a Class page for more information.
If you have other questions about rare books, please contact us!
Book Collections List
- Karl and Jill Brussel Collection
- Donald Davie Collection
- Joachim Dyck Collection
- Mary Margaret and John L. Farringer, Jr. Collection
- Sam Fleming Southern Civilization Collection
- León Helguera Colombiana Collection
- Stanley F. Horn Collection
- Memorabilia Collection
- George Peabody College Collection
- Peter Pauper Press Collection
- Nettie Hale Rand Collection of Fine Binding and Printing
- John Crowe Ransom Collection
- Henry Grantland Rice Collection
- Harris D. Riley, Jr. Civil War Collection
- Sevier Collection
- Vernon Sharp Collection
- Robert Stempfel John Updike Collection
- Frances Newman Thomson Collection of Southern Literature
- U.S. Playing Card Co./George Clulow Collection
- Vanderbilt Collection
- Jesse Ely Wills Fugitive and Agrarian Collection
- Jesse Ely Wills Native American Collection
- Frank C. Wilson Thomas Wolfe Collection
- Parkhurst and Jane Wood Bridge Book and Periodical Collection