Hidden Treasures in Rare Books and Special Collections

Welcome to Hidden Treasures in Rare Books and Special Collections

Rare Books and Special Collections of the Northern Illinois University Libraries includes materials that, because of their rarity, condition, form, or subject matter, are best handled separately from the general collection. There are roughly 10,000 rare books in the collection covering subject matter in history, art, literature, religion, and philosophy. In addition, we have 42 Special Collections. The Hidden Treasures exhibit offers a peek into these collections.

Reading room hours and contact information may be found at our homepage. You may email us for more information about this exhibit or any of our other holdings. We encourage you to contact us before coming to the library so we can help plan your visit.