Special Collections predominantly consists of several thousand books from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Among these are books given to the College by prominent early and founding faculty, resulting in a collection with strengths in history and historiography, classical and contemporary literature, religion and Christianity, and math and science. Subcollections of books within Special Collections include those collected by previous stewards of the collection, reflecting interests and activities once associated with the Library, such as the collection of 16th and 17th century books which serve as specimens of fine bookmaking and printing (as the Library once owned and operated letterpresses) but also represent the intellectual and scholarly preoccupations of the period. Further subcollections of books include a children’s collection consisting of over 500 volumes printed between 1845 and 1945, and a hymnal collection consisting of several hundred volumes dating from 1805 through 1990.
Special Collections also holds miscellaneous single items, such as a bound manuscript Franciscan antiphonarium (chant book), a collection of prints and fine book art by Leonard Baskin;materials compiled by Dr. Joseph Secondi relating to the Sacco-Vanzetti trial, the David Duncan collection;the slide collection of late Wofford history professor and South Carolina historian Dr. Lewis P. Jones, along with local history materials, and some maps, manuscripts, ephemera, and small archives.
A major subcollection of Special Collections is the Broadus R. Littlejohn Collection, a multi-format collection of cultural heritage materials collected by prominent local businessman and philanthropist B.R. Littlejohn, Jr. (1925-2010). The collection reflects the interests of the collector and contains manuscripts and ephemera concerned with the history of the South and South Carolina (including manuscripts by prominent figures of the colonial period), the Civil War and the Confederacy (including manuscripts and archival collections created by general officers and soldiers, Civil War envelopes, contemporary pamphlets, and single copies and complete runs of historical newspapers), but the breadth of the Collection reaches from the late colonial period through the end of the 20th century. The collection also contains several hundred books that complement materials in the Collection.
Contact Special Collections Librarian Luke Meagher with questions or to make an appointment to visit Special Collections.