Special Collections

Historical Textbooks Collection (Educ T classification)

This collection of primary, secondary and college textbooks in all subject areas contains approximately 35,000 volumes. The collection concentrates on materials published between 1800 and 1950, though there are a few pre-1800 items. Most of the textbooks are American imprints, but a representative collection of European imprints is included. The collection is particularly strong in the areas of reading, history and geography, languages, mathematics and science, and covers all subjects taught in schools from agriculture to zoology.

The collection is cataloged fully in the HOLLIS Catalog. Over 10,000 readers, histories, geographies, social studies, science and mathematics textbooks from the Historical Textbooks Collection have been microfilmed under grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The HOLLIS Catalog record for each title filmed contains a filming note and gives the reel and master negative numbers. The reels are available for use in Gutman Library whenever the library is open (see Hours). Outside institutions may borrow these through Interlibrary Loan, and copies of reels may be purchased through the Harvard University Library's Imaging Services (617-495-3995).