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Discover Special Collections in KentLINK: How to search KentLINK for special collections

Searching tips and tricks to help you discover rare and primary materials available at Kent State University Library

The KentLINK Catalog

Search for Special Collections & Archives materials

You can specify that your KentLINK search retrieve only items that are housed in Special Collections & Archives

screenshot of KentLINK Basic Search screen

    Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Use the Basic Search in KentLINK
  2. In the Search box, type the terms to be searched. In this example: true crime london
  3. Select Keyword in the Search Type pull-down menu
  4. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection pull-down menu
  5. Click the yellow SEARCH bar

Explore collections

Books and journals in the May 4 Collection

Special Collections & Archives collects all publications about the Kent State Shootings of May 4, 1970

image of a book cover

Cryptography collection

a large collection of books and journals about cryptography and the history of codebreaking can be found in KentLINK

image of page in a telegraph code book

Kent State University dissertations & theses in print

You can search this large collection of print-based theses and dissertations, written by Kent State students between 1910 and about 2010. Students now submit these electronically only

photo of KSU dissertations on the shelf

The Open Theater

Books and periodicals about The Open Theater, an experimental theater group active in New York City between 1963 and 1973

image of a book cover

History of Kent State

Researchers can locate books and periodicals in KentLINK that document the history of Kent State University

image of a book cover

How to find MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPTS at Kent State

image of a medieval manuscript

 

 

 

 

 

This Subject search will get you started with discovering the medieval manuscripts available for students and researchers to access at Kent State Library:

screenshot of KentLINK Basic Search screen

  Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Use the Basic Search in KentLINK
  2. In the Search box, type: manuscripts medieval specimens
  3. Select Subject in the Search Type pull-down menu
  4. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection pull-down menu
  5. Click the yellow SEARCH bar

How to find the OLDEST PRINTED BOOKS at Kent State

image of first page of KSU's oldest printed book

KentLINK includes a type of search called Genre/Form that is handy for this

A Genre/Form search for the term incunabula will give you a list of early European printed books in Kent State's collection:

screenshot of KentLINK Basic Search screen

Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Use the Basic Search in KentLINK
  2. In the Search box, type: incunabula (spelled i-n-c-u-n-a-b-u-l-a)
  3. Select Genre/Form in the Search Type pull-down menu
  4. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection pull-down menu
  5. Click the yellow SEARCH bar

Look up books by where and when printed

A search for the abbreviated term, "Chron." in the Subject search type retrieves a list of early printed books

This list is arranged alphabetically by country and city, and then by date:

screenshot of KentLINK Basic Search screen

   Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Use the KentLINK Basic Search
  2. In the Search box, type the abbreviated term, Chron. (spelled c-h-r-o-n)
  3. Select Subject in the Search Type pull-down menu
  4. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection pull-down menu
  5. Click the yellow SEARCH bar

Limit a search to a range of printing/publication dates

Under the Advanced Search tab, you have the option to specify PUBLICATION DATE(S) in your search

For example, this search will locate 19th-century geology books in Special Collections & Archives:

screenshot of KentLINK Advanced Search screen

    Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Click the Advanced Search tab to open that screen in KentLINK
  2. In the Search For boxes, type your search term(s). In this example: geology
  3. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection pull-down menu
  4. In the PUBLICATION DATE boxes, type in a beginning and an ending date. In this example: 1801 and 1899
  5. Click the yellow SEARCH bar

Genre SEARCH

You can use the Genre/Form search to look for specific genre

For example, this search will retrieve true crime materials in Special Collections & Archives:

screenshot of KentLINK Basic Search screen

    Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Use the Basic Search in KentLINK
  2. Type your search term(s) in the Search box. In this example: true crime
  3. Select Genre/Form in the Search Type drop-down menu
  4. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection drop-down menu
  5. Click the yellow SEARCH bar

Special formats, forms, physical attributes SEARCH

For example, this Genre/Form search locates miniature books in Special Collections & Archives:

screenshot of KentLINK Basic Search screen

    Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Use the KentLINK Basic Search
  2. In the Search box, type your search term(s). In this example: miniature books
  3. Select Genre/Form in the Search Type pull-down menu
  4. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection pull-down menu
  5. Click the yellow SEARCH bar

Little magazines

Literary, usually non-commercial magazines that typically feature works of less well-known writers

Cover of a little magazine,

Broadside poems

Poem printed on one side of a sheet of paper and intended to be read unfolded; very popular in the 1960s

image of

Uncorrected proofs

A trial printing of a book used for making corrections before final publication or for early distribution to book reviewers

cover image of book, Kent State by Deborah Wiles

Leaf books

Assembled collections of individual pages (or "leaves") from manuscripts and early printed books to provide specimens of different styles from different historical periods

image of medieval manuscript leaf in a leaf book

Artists' books

Works of art that utilize the form of the book. They are often produced in small editions or as one-of-a-kind objects

 

image of hand-painted artists' book

Bookbindings and decorative elements SEARCH

An important aspect in the history of the book are the methods and styles for binding and protecting the sheets of the text and for decorating and embellishing the finished codex, scroll, or other form of book

For example, this Genre/Form search will retrieve books in Special Collections & Archives that are bound in leather:

screenshot of KentLINK Basic Search screen

   Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Use the KentLINK Basic Search
  2. In the Search box, type your search term(s). In this example: leather bindings
  3. Select Genre/Form in the Search Type pull-down menu
  4. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection pull-down menu
  5. Click the yellow SEARCH bar

Pictorial cloth bindings

In the 19th century, publishers began decorating mass-produced bindings with elaborate and striking images stamped onto the cloth covering 

photo of book with pictorial cloth binding

Fore-edge paintings

Images, often landscape scenes, painted in watercolors on the fanned edges of the pages of a book. The painting is hidden when the book is closed

A student holding open a book to display the painting that can be seen by fanning the edges of the pages

Vellum bindings

Books bound in parchment: untanned calf, sheep, or goatskin

image of book bound in vellum

Tree calf bindings

19th-century bookbinding style using calfskin which has been stained with a marbled pattern that often resembles the trunk and branches of a tree

photo of a tree calf bookbinding

Manuscript waste (Binding)

Bookbindings in which discarded scraps of medieval manuscripts have been repurposed as a binding material

photo of a manuscript waste binding

Publishers, printers, small presses SEARCH

Try an Author/Creator search for an individual printer or publishing business. For example, this search will give you a list of items in Special Collections & Archives published by the Logan Elm Press:

Screenshot of KentLINK search

    Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Use the KentLINK Basic Search
  2. In the Search box, type in your search terms. In this example: logan elm press
  3. Select Author in the Search Type pull-down menu
  4. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection pull-down menu
  5. Click the yellow SEARCH bar

EXPERT TIP: Change the Search Type to Keyword if the Author/Creator search does not produce results

Roycroft Shop

Arts and Crafts movement press founded in 1893 by Elbert Hubbard in East Aurora, N.Y.

image of front cover of book by the Roycroft Press

Aldine Press

Famous 16th century publisher in Venice, Italy, known for its editions of the Greek and Latin classics

photo of Aldine Press book's title page

Pudding House

Small-press poetry publisher in central Ohio. Founded by Jennifer Bosveld in 1980

image of a book cover

Kent State University Press

Kent State's publishing arm, founded in 1965

image of Kent State University Press logo

Costmary Press

Small-press hobby printer located in Kent, Ohio. Founded by Dean H. Keller in 1965

image of Costmary Press logo

World Publishing Company

20th century commercial publishing firm founded by Alfred H. Cahen and originally headquartered in Cleveland

image of World Publishing Co. bookjacket

Logan Elm Press

Fine arts press at Ohio State University from 1978-2015

photo of book created at Logan Elm Press

Saalfield Publishing Company

Operating in Akron from 1900 to 1977, it was one of the largest publishers of children's materials in the world

picture of Saalfield Publishing Co. logo

Bookbinders SEARCH

Most books today have uniform, mass-produced bindings that are identical on each copy. This was not the case before the Industrial Revolution when bookbindings were often custom-made and created by hand. The art of bookbinding has also been kept alive by craftsmen up to the present day. KentLINK includes tags for the names of people and firms that created the bookbinding (whenever possible).

Try an Author/Creator search for an individual bookbinder or a binding company:

Screenshot of KentLINK search

    Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Use the KentLINK Basic Search
  2. In the Search box, type your search term(s). In this example: doves bindery
  3. Select Author in the Search Type pull-down menu
  4. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection pull-down menu
  5. Click on the yellow SEARCH bar

EXPERT TIP: Change the Search Type to Keyword if the Author/Creator search does not produce results

Binders' tickets

Binders' tickets are small labels that identify the binder. A Genre/Form search for this term can locate interesting custom bookbindings

image of a binder's ticket

Jan Sobota

Czechoslovakian-born fine binder known for his often playful sculptural bindings

image of custom bookbinding by Jan Sobota

Zaehnsdorf Firm

Fine binder Joseph Zaehsndorf founded his own binding business in London in 1844 and the business was continued by his son, Joseph William

photo of bookbinding by Zaehnsdorf

Bone & Son

Prominent trade binder in Victorian-era London

image of Bone & Son company binder's ticket

Charles Mearne

One of a small group of British bookbinders known as the "Queens' Binder" and active during the late 17th century

image of leather bookbinding by Charles Mearne

Earle Gray

20th century Californian who produced many hand-bound limited editions for the avant-garde publisher, Black Sparrow Press

image of a book bound by Earle Gray

Artists and illustrators SEARCH

KentLINK includes tags for the names of people and firms responsible for the illustrations and artwork of each book (whenever possible). This includes illustrators, book designers, silkscreen artists, photographers, engravers, and hand-colorists.

Try an Author/Creator search for an individual illustrator or artist; remember to enter a search for an individual person with the last name first:

Screenshot of KentLINK search

     Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Use the KentLINK Basic Search
  2. In the Search box, type in the search term(s). In this example: Kent, Rockwell
  3. Select Author in the Search Type pull-down menu
  4. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection pull-down menu
  5. Click the yellow SEARCH bar

Margaret Armstrong

20th-century American designer, illustrator, and author, best known for her book covers in the Art Nouveau style

image of cover design by Margaret Armstrong

Jean de Brunhoff

Originator and illustrator of the Babar the Elephant children's books

image of illustration by Jean de Brunhoff

Hablot Knight Browne

19th-century English artist and illustrator known by his pen name, Phiz. He illustrated books by Charles Dickens, Charles Lever, and Harrison Ainsworth.

image of illustration by artist known as

Kate Greenaway

English Victorian artist and writer, known for her children's book illustrations

image of illustration by Kate Greenaway

Thomas Bewick

English wood-engraver and natural history author known for popularizing a technical innovation that made it possible to print high-quality engravings at a low cost

image of a wood engraving print

John James Audubon

Well-known 19th century American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter whose combined interests in art and ornithology turned into a plan to make a complete pictorial record of all the bird species of North America

image of illustration by John James Audubon

John Tenniel

English illustrator and satirical artist, best known for his work in Punch magazine and his illustrations for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

image of John Tenniel illustration

Frances Brundage

Prolific American artist who illustrated books for the Saalfield Publishing Company in Akron. She also illustrated children's classics such as the works of Louis May Alcott, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Johanna Spyri

image of Frances Brundage illustration

Howard Chandler Christy

Highly successful American artist and illustrator from Ohio who first became known for his realistic illustrations done as a combat artist during the Spanish-American War

image of illustration by H.C. Christy

Illustrations SEARCH

Throughout their history, manuscripts, books and other printed works have been illustrated using every medium available to artists and publishers. Students and researchers can use KentLINK to locate examples of works done in a specific medium for close study.

Try a Genre/Form search for an illustration medium:

screenshot of KentLINK Basic Search screen

     Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Use the KentLINK Basic Search
  2. In the Search box, type your search term(s). In this example: wood engravings
  3. Select Genre/Form in the Search Type pull-down menu
  4. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection pull-down menu
  5. Click the yellow SEARCH bar

Hand coloring

Popular 19th-century technique using watercolor paints to add color to a printed image. Professional artists were often hired for this work and each copy of the book had to painted by hand. Books hand-colored by amateurs are also commonly found.

image of a hand-colored illustration

Woodcuts

Like with wood engravings, a carved block of wood is inked to print an image. Woodcuts differ in that the grain of the wood is often visible in the print because the block was carved on its grain side.

image of a woodcut illustration

Screen prints

Silkscreen prints were a popular 20th-century medium for illustrating limited-edition publications. Each illustration must be printed by hand.

image of an illustration printed by silkscreen

Engravings

Prints created by carving an image into a metal plate that is inked for printing. These illustrations must be printed on a different type of press than that used to print the text.

image of an engraving from a book

Chromolithographs

These illustrations were printed using an early technique for printing in color which was invented in the 19th century.

photo of chromolithograph illustration

Wood engravings

This popular 19th-century printing technique for illustrations was first developed in England by Thomas Bewick. Using engraving burins to work the wood on the end grain, the engraver can create detailed images with thin, delicate lines.

image of a wood engraving print

Provenance evidence SEARCH

Many books carry with them information and clues about their past: who owned them or who sold them (both famous people and ordinary people), whether they were given as gifts and for what occasion, and even how well-loved or heavily-used they were.

For example, this Genre/Form search retrieves books that have been annotated with handwritten notes, some by historically important people, others by the author, etc.:

screenshot of KentLINK Basic Search screen

     Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Use the KentLINK Basic Search
  2. In the Search box, type in your search terms(s). In this example: annotations
  3. Select Genre/Form in the Search Type drop-down menu
  4. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection drop-down menu
  5. Click the yellow SEARCH bar

Bookplates

Printed or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the front endpaper, to indicate ownership

image of a bookplate

Family Bibles

These typically include historical or genealogical information about past owners

image of a genealogy in a family Bible

Inscriptions

Some books contain a hand-written presentation note written by a previous owner or the author

image of a title page with inscriptions

Booksellers' labels

Small printed label attached to the book by the stationer or book dealer who sold it

photo of two booksellers' labels pasted in a book

Prize books

A book that had been awarded in recognition of an achievement, typically by a school or a club, to a previous owner

image of a prize book bookplate

Authors' annotated copies

Books that have been annotated by the author

image of a page with annotations by the author

Authors' presentation copies

A copy of a book containing an inscription written by the author, presenting their book to another person

image of an author's inscription

Book collectors, prominent collections SEARCH

Many of Kent State's significant book collections were assembled by a knowledgeable collector and/or have come to the Library through the generosity of a particular donor. A Keyword search for the name of the collector or the collection can provide a list.

Expert tip: phrases in quotation marks will be searched exactly in a Keyword search:

screenshot of KentLINK Basic Search screen

      Click on the yellow SEARCH bar on this screen to open KentLINK and run this search

  1. Use the KentLINK Basic Search
  2. In the Search box, type in your search term(s). In this example: "Richard P. Morgan" in quotation marks
  3. Select Keyword in the Search Type pull-down menu
  4. Select MAIN Special Collections in the Collection pull-down menu
  5. Click the yellow SEARCH bar

Borowitz Collection

True crime and literature, collected and donated by Albert and Helen Borowitz. Their collection focuses on the impact that historical crime events have on popular culture, literature, and film.

photo of exhibit of the Borowitz Collection

Library of Paul Louis Feiss

History of the book, fine printing and bookbinding

image of a bookplate

Stephen Jama Collection

20th-century poetry and literature

picture of books in the Jama Collection

Library of B. George Ulizio

History of the book, British and American literature

image of B. George Ulizio bookplate