New arrivals of African American literature were added to the special collections at Hill Memorial Library.
The library has a rare book collection that features prominent authors and writers from a variety of different genres.
LSU Libraries Special Collections’ manuscript collections have a plethora of stories on African Americans in Louisiana and in the rest of the South, but before this acquisition there wasn’t much to offer when it came to featuring Black authors from the rest of the United States.
Now, students can learn more about a wide variety of Black authors and orators.
John Miles, curator of books and head of instruction, said that although the books were not purchased specifically for Black History Month, which is in February, the staff at the library was happy to be able to trumpet their arrival at that time.
“This literature represents an ongoing effort on the part of the libraries to reflect both the diversity of our campus and the evolving research needs of students, faculty and staff,” Miles said. “They came as a part of a single purchase from a rare book dealer in New York, Wyatt Day, who specializes in African American literature.”
Miles said the library was glad to receive this historic literature.
“It arrived (the books) in two highly anticipated packages, which we took no time in unpacking, as our eagerness was getting the best of us,” Miles said.
He said that there is a wide variety of different books and stories that were acquired.
“It’s a diverse list in terms of genre — novels, poetry, autobiography, drama and history — as well as in terms of age, with items published as early as 1844,” Miles said.
Some notable stories that were acquired feature a variety of different prominent Black authors. Some of those authors include James Baldwin, “Just Above My Head,” Charles Chesnutt, “The Conjure Woman,” Frederick Douglass, “Life and Times of Frederick Douglass,” Langston Hughes, “Troubled Island” and Robert Benjamin Lewis, “Light and Truth,” among others.
“This is only a partial list of the treasures that were stashed away in the two boxes, but we should probably hold back a few gems for you to see when you visit us in Hill Memorial Library,” Miles said.
He said that the new acquisitions to the library collection won’t stop there. The library is always trying to expand its collection of historic literature.
“Our collections are always growing to fit the research interests and teaching needs of our community, and these new acquisitions represent our commitment thereto,” Miles said. “While never a responsibility to be taken lightly, in this case the gravity of the mission is matched by our sheer joy at fulfilling it. May many more such treasured tomes be in LSU’s future.”
Hill Memorial Library also offers manuscript collections, Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections, Louisiana Newspapers and University Archives, according to its website.