Carleton has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to renowned collections: among them, meteorites, prints by Inuit artists, and, at Gould Library, everything from a deep dive into the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám to an extensive repository of Japanese maps. Here we highlight a few unique collections, some lesser known, others so new this will be their first introduction.
Many of these collections are designed to help find answers. A catalogue of animal bones can help identify that thing we found in the woods, for instance, while plant specimens collected over the past century offer concrete evidence of the impacts of climate change on species migration and bloom cycles.
Others might spark questions. What can a new donation of books about visualizing the moon teach us about the power of art in understanding science (or vice versa)? Some of the records in KRLX’s stash are so old or obscure they’re unavailable online, prompting a query: how does music digitization and streaming distort our understanding of the breadth of music history?
Still others raise questions about collecting itself. What does it mean for a college library to house self-published underground zines, and how might that help us think differently about “authority” when it comes to academic sourcing? Or how can something as common as a T-shirt, worn by a sweaty Carl decades ago, tune us into campus history in ways official documentation might not? Whether you’re looking to answer or ask questions, these Carleton collections—all available to experience by appointment—are sure to pique your curiosity.
