Restore Rare, Historic Books

Tiger Giving Day is over, but you can still give to the Auburn Libraries here.

Auburn University Libraries holds historic rare books dating back to the dawn of the printing press era. Many of our treasured volumes are over 400 years old, yet they still play an important role in both Auburn’s teaching mission and in world culture. 

We use our ancient books volumes to help students understand the history of knowledge, books, technology, design, illustration and literacy. 

Many of our historic volumes are in fragile or degraded condition, but they are still treasured. We pride ourselves in respecting and preserving these great works, and we are asking the Auburn Family to join us in this effort. 

This TGD project seeks to fund professional restorations of important books in our Treasure Collection dating from the 1500s and 1600s.  

The first two volumes we have identified are Raphael Holinshed’s “Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande” (1587) and Holinshed’s “Historie of England” (1587). These two volumes are excellent candidates for restoration and are among the “crown jewels” of Auburn’s treasured rare book collections. They are large “folio” volumes and in fragile condition, with degraded leather bindings and loose covers.

They are important to our teaching program because William Shakespeare used the 1587 edition of the “Chronicles” to research many of his historical plays including “Richard III,” the plot of “Macbeth,” and for portions of “King Lear” and “Cymbeline.” 

Students exploring these books are not only connected to generations of scholars who have studied them, but also to the generations of people who have enjoyed Shakespeare’s plays.

Professional book restorations can cost thousands of dollars. With a goal of $10,000, we feel this amount could bring new life and longevity to the Holinshed volumes, and put us on our way to restoring other Early Modern works in English. 

The Auburn Family would have a chance to help preserve these volumes and keep them available to another 4 centuries of Auburn students. 

With every dollar that exceeds our modest goal, we can scale our vision to include additional important works. 

When a book is restored by the professionals at the Etherington Conservation Center, the results can be breathtaking. The conservators take before and after photographs with details of the work they have done. 

You will have a chance to see the impact of your generosity and will have the opportunity when visiting Auburn to experience these grand volumes in person. 

Thank you and War Eagle!