Thanks for checking out our blog! We are Donnie and Rakesh, two students in the MBA program at Illinois State University. We have set up this site with the goal of sharing our journey in exploring a unique resource on our campus. Recently, we were introduced to Milner Library's Special Collections (website)
 |
(Milner Library, in the throes of construction on the nearby Bone Student Center)
The Extraordinary Special Collections of Illinois State University
Special Collections, on the 6th floor of Milner, contains a wealth of extraordinary items focused around four particular collections related to Rare and Fine Books, Abraham Lincoln, Children's Literature and Historical Textbooks, and (of particular pride to the department) Circus and Allied Arts. You can find out a little more about Special Collections by checking out this interview (link) with Maureen Brunsdale, the head of Special Collections at Milner.
(The entrance to ISU's Special Collections)
Milner's Special Collections is open to the public and to Illinois State's faculty, students, and alumni. Scholars from all over the world come to Milner to review the treasures of Special Collections. Therefore, if you are looking for things to do in Bloomington-Normal area, here is a fun-n-fine place to visit. To protect the materials, you need to be buzzed into and out of the collections area. Hands must be washed first, only pencils are to be used to prevent accidental damage from permanent pen, and bags must be checked at the front counter.
An Introduction to ISU's Unique Collections at Milner Library
There are over 35,000 items in Special Collections, according to the Milner Library online search function. The process of narrowing down what to review for our blog, has been little overwhelming and definitely thought-provoking journey so far. There is so much to see and to write about! What we want to do is really highlight just some of the unique offerings of Special Collections and share our experiences in reviewing them, to hopefully give you as reader some inspiration into what types of special collections journeys you could take. Also, we hope that you will find our posts educational and give you greater understanding and deeper context about the topics we'll cover. We can't pretend to be experts in the materials we'll review, but our blog is the only place where you will find detailed insights into Milner's Special Collections without physically visiting the premise.
Our other pages
Our other pages
- Harold Sinclair's Life
- Circus & Allied Arts -Art Concello and Clyde Beatty
- Children's Historical Literature - Lois Lenski - The Jungle Book - Winnie The Pooh
