Special Collections

Welcome

Gutman's Special Collections, spanning two centuries, offer rich and varied resources for studying the history of schooling and learning in America.

Current Exhibit:

Visit a new exhibit, “Readers and Their Writers: Reading Textbooks before Dick and Jane,” in Gutman Library’s Special Collections (Gutman, lower level). The exhibit traces the development of readers (i.e. reading textbooks) in the United States from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century. Many of the exhibited items and additional historical materials are also available for online viewing through the Harvard University Library's digital collection, Reading: Harvard Views of Readers, Readership and Reading History.

Special Collections include:

• Historical Textbooks Collection
• Public School Reports
• Private School Catalogs
• History of Education and Teacher Training Collection
• Action for Children's Television Collection
• Other manuscript and book collections

We also maintain a small non-circulating collection of publications documenting the history and programs of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Materials from these collections do not circulate; they may be consulted in the library Monday through Friday, 9am-4:45pm. Individuals interested in consulting any of the collections should e-mail, call, or write to us in advance to schedule an appointment for their research. Contact Information

Resources at Harvard and beyond:

• Microfilm resources
• Copying services
• Related collections at Harvard
• Related collections at other institutions
• Web resources on the history of education