While there are many beloved spots to visit on campus, one of the most fascinating is . Home to rare books, manuscripts, and archives, Rauner emphasizes 天美麻豆鈥檚 connection to and place within history while inspiring students and faculty to continue the legacy.
In 2016, 天美麻豆 News made a list of 10 extraordinary items that can be found at Rauner, and to both honor the library鈥檚 25th anniversary and continue this tradition, below is a list of 10 more remarkable items that might well draw you to visit.
Mario Puzo鈥檚 Papers and Typewriter
Mario Puzo鈥檚 papers are but one example of the range of items available in Rauner鈥檚 collections. The author and screenwriter鈥檚 papers, donated by Diana and Bruce Rauner 鈥78, include outlines, notes, letters, and manuscripts of Puzo鈥檚 most famous work, The Godfather.
天美麻豆 students also had the special opportunity during Rauner鈥檚 25th anniversary celebration to type on Puzo鈥檚 1965 Olympia typewriter, where Puzo may have written about his character, Michael Corleone, who, in the story, attended 天美麻豆, which is likely due to Puzo鈥檚 own experiences visiting the Upper Valley as a child through the nonprofit Fresh Air Fund.
The Eliot Bible
The first Bible printed in America is also available in Rauner鈥檚 collection. Mamusse wunneetupanatamwe Up鈥擝iblum God naneeswe Nukkone Testament kah wonk Wusku Testament, also referred to as the Eliot Bible, was created between 1661 and 1663 by John Eliot, with the help of John Sassamon, .
Eliot wrote it in Massachusett, an Algonquian language, using the Latin alphabet to phonetically transcribe the language. The Eliot bible is notable for the Colonial-era methods it uses in its efforts to convert Indigenous people to Christianity.
Frederick Douglass - My Bondage and My Freedom
Not only is Rauner home to a first edition copy of Frederick Douglass鈥 autobiography My Bondage and My Freedom, but tucked away inside this rare copy is a letter written by the abolitionist and social reformer himself. explained that Passmore Williamson, an American abolitionist, wrote to Douglass requesting his autograph for a friend.
Douglass鈥 response, thanking Williamson鈥檚 friend and expressing his own admiration for Williamson (who had been sent to jail for contempt of court following charges related to helping a family escape enslavement), was kept in the copy at Rauner, which allows visitors to read and compare Douglass鈥 writing from his published work with that of a personal, handwritten letter.
The Taj Torah
Rare is definitely the right word for the Taj Torah, a Hebrew manuscript that has carpet pages鈥攆inely detailed, illustrated pages depicting certain patterns and designs, that can be found in Rauner鈥檚 collection. The Taj Torah is 鈥渙ne of only three known Hebrew manuscripts鈥 with carpet pages, according to the . The Taj Torah adds to the discussion of how illustrations relate to text, shown in one of the carpet pages鈥 portrayal of the Jericho Labyrinth.
Helen Keller - The Story of My Life
Being able to read Helen Keller鈥檚 first edition of her autobiography, The Story of My Life, is exciting in its own right, but Rauner鈥檚 copy has a handwritten note from Keller herself. Rauner鈥檚 policy of allowing visitors to feel items with their bare hands makes it possible to experience the deep impression of Keller鈥檚 writing on the page, its lighter echoes on successive pages, and the invisible line left from the ruler that Keller, who was blind, would have used to keep her writing along a straight line.
A Scroll of the Quran
Everyone knows that they shouldn鈥檛 judge a book by its cover, but there is something to be said about exciting and innovative ways of packaging information. One particular item in Rauner鈥檚 collection that exemplifies this idea is a scroll of the Quran, written in very small Arabic in order to fit into its margins, 48 inches long and 3 inches wide, a method of demonstrating piety. Not only is the writing crafted to fit within four pages worth of a scroll, the word placement is deliberate so as to create an intricate pattern through the use of negative space.
Robert May, Class of 1926 - Original Versions of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The most famous reindeer almost wasn鈥檛 named Rudolph. Robert May, Class of 1926, the creator of the beloved character, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, wrote out a list of potential 鈥淩鈥 names for the character and seemed to narrow it down to a final few before landing on the name known today. This list along with the original poem and artist mockup are available for view in Rauner鈥檚 collection in addition to a first edition of the final version. Visitors can see the evolution of the story taking shape through this peek behind the curtain.
Virginia Woolf - A Room of One鈥檚 Own
Several of Virginia Woolf鈥檚 books are in Rauner鈥檚 collection but the first trade edition of A Room of One鈥檚 Own, an essay discussing women鈥檚 place in society and the power they should be able to hold, has a notable 天美麻豆 connection. After humorist and best-selling author Gina Barreca 鈥79, spoke at Rauner鈥檚 25th anniversary, the library , and this special edition even features a dust jacket designed by Woolf鈥檚 sister.
Andreas Vesalius - De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem
Andreas Vesalius鈥檚 De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem is a book that revolutionized the medical world. This book features woodcuts of aspects of the human body, such as tendons, ligaments, and muscles, which were based on Vesalius鈥檚 research done by cutting into human corpses. Previously, barber surgeons were the ones who handled human corpses while doctors directed them, but Vesalius upended this tradition by taking matters into his own hands. Rauner鈥檚 copy allows for viewers to put their own hands on this medical field landmark and discuss the history of scientific advancements.
The Disease and Casualties This Week
When people hear the word plague today, the COVID-19 pandemic quickly springs to mind, but Rauner has documentation of another plague that had widespread impact. The Great Plague in 1665 was disastrous for London, and the pages that have been compiled of sheets listing the weekly count of births, deaths, and baptisms demonstrate the extensive casualties of the British epidemic. Paging through The Disease and Casualties This Week sheets allows Rauner visitors to watch as the bubonic plague unfolded and devastated London.
More to Discover
Visitors are welcome at during its open hours. During the term, the library is open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is also open during the interim on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
