Rare Books and Special Collections at CLP-Main: Additional Resources

This guide provides an overview of Rare Books and Special Collections held at CLP-Main.

Rare Books and Special Collections Resources

A New Introduction to Bibliography

Ronald B. McKerrow's "An Introduction to Bibliography for Literary Students" has been the classic manual on bibliography, showing how the transmission of texts might be affected by the processes of printing, but he concentrated almost exclusively on "Elizabethan" printing - the period from 1560 to 1660.

Five Hundred Years of Printing

This highly readable survey traces the history of printing with movable type from its 15th-century beginnings in Gutenberg's workshop to the technical advances of the 20th century.

John Carter's ABC for Book Collectors

Shaken, Unsophisticated, Harleian Style, Fingerprint, E-book, Dentelle. Can you define these terms? If not, this is the book for you!

A Gentle Madness

The quintessential 'book on books'.

Principles of Bibliographical Description

Fredson Bowers's Principles of Bibliographical Description is one of the indisputable classics of twentieth-century scholarship.

The Book on the Bookshelf

From the author of the highly praised The Pencil and The Evolution of Useful Things comes another captivating history of the seemingly mundane- the book and its storage.

First Editions

Statements of Selected North American, British Commonwealth, and Irish Publishers on Their Methods of Designating First Editions.

The Oxford Illustrated History of the Book

In 14 original essays, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Book reveals the history of books in all their various forms, from the ancient world to the digital present.

Breaking into Print

Describes the nature of books in the world before the development of the printing press and the subsequent effect of that invention on civilization.

Private Presses and Their Books

A history of the private press movement in England and America with detailed check-lists of the publications, arranged chronologically under the name of the press, with index to presses, books, and individuals recorded.

Rare Books and Special Collections Outside of CLP

Rare Book Collections at The University of Pittsburgh

Rare Book Collections at The University of Pittsburgh: Archives & Special Collections (A&SC) has thousands of rare books in our collections, and they cover a wide variety of topics!

Special Collections at Carnegie Mellon University

Special Collections is Carnegie Mellon University’s repository for rare books, manuscripts, and early scientific instruments and calculating machines.

Chatham University Archives & Special Collections

The digital collection of the Chatham University Archives & Special Collections is open and accessible to the public at the links to the left. The physical content of the Archives & Special Collections is currently closed for the 23-24 academic year.

Local History & Genealogy Resources

Genealogy Library Guide This guide provides an overview of library resources that can help with genealogy and family history searching.
Local History Collections The Local History Department is housed on the third floor of CLP-Main and specializes in local history and genealogy research.
Pittsburgh Photographic Library (PPL) The Pittsburgh Photographic Library (PPL) is a unique collection of historic images documenting life in the Pittsburgh area accessible at CLP-Main. A project of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, its purpose was to highlight the redevelopment of Pittsburgh in the 1950s. The collection has grown in size and scope since coming to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in 1960. The PPL now offers over 57,000 photographs featuring important Western Pennsylvania places, significant milestones and extraordinary people.
Historical Maps of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania This collection includes maps showing the development of the City of Pittsburgh and other areas in Western Pennsylvania. The collection also includes warrantee atlases documenting early landowners, which are helpful in genealogical research.

Please contact the Local History & Genealogy Department for additional details at 412-622-3154 or padept@carnegielibrary.org.

Music Collections

Music Special Collections The Pittsburgh Music Collections include historical material related to music groups, music organizations and societies, music educators, conductors, composers and musicians in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area. Collections include vinyl records, original correspondence, music manuscripts, concert programs, oral histories, records, newspaper clippings, photographs, CDs, sheet music, scrapbooks, and much more. These collections are housed in the Music Department at CLP-Main.
The Maurice Levy Oral History of Music in Pittsburgh Collection The collection consists of more than 300 interviews conducted between 1991 and 2005. The interviews include a wide variety of people in Pittsburgh involved with jazz, classical, popular, folk, and traditional music.

Please contact the Music Department for more details at 412-622-3114 or email musicdept@carnegielibrary.org.

Reference Collections at CLP-Main

Pittsburgh Art and Architecture Collections This collection contains index cards with art events, architecture, and names of artists and architects. These point to associated references in books or files with catalogs, mounted pictures, magazine and newspaper clippings, and other ephemera unique to CLP. Coverage is strongest between 1920 to 2000. This resource includes full runs of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Annual Exhibition Catalogs and Carnegie International Exhibition Catalogs.
Topographic Maps Pennsylvania topographic maps and a limited number of topographic maps of various scales for locations around the United States are available.
Zine Collection (1st Floor Fiction Stacks) Housed on the first floor of CLP-Main, the library’s Zine collection provides browsing access to nearly 2000 independently-published comics, essays, collages, and other materials. Named after the “zine” in “magazine”, a zine can take a variety of forms but is usually a pamphlet of creative work, published in small photocopied print runs. Because the format focuses on expression, not profit, zines often touch on personal or socially radical topics. CLP’s collection features zines from around the world but focuses on zines and zinesters of local interest.

Please contact the Reference Services Department at CLP-Main in-person or you can contact the library at 412-622-3114 or email info@carnegielibrary.org.

Collections at CLP Branches

Allegheny City Historic Reading Room Located at CLP-Allegheny the Reading Room holds a collection of rare materials dedicated to the history of Allegheny City and the North Side. Please contact CLP-Allegheny for more details at 412-237-1890 or email allegheny@carnegielibrary.org.
Hill District Community Collection, 1925-2018 The Hill District Community Collection contains materials that document life in Pittsburgh's Hill District throughout the 1900s, into the early 2000s. Materials document Black history in the Hill District, in Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania, and throughout the United States. Materials include (but not limited to) books, newspaper clippings, newspapers, photographs, and other ephemera originating from the community or related to its history. The Hill District Community collection is openly accessible and can be accessed at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Hill District during their open hours without an appointment. The collection is housed in a file cabinet in the August Wilson Room. Books, newspapers, and other ephemera can be located in the top drawer of the file cabinet. File folders are located in the bottom drawer.
Historic Lawrenceville Oral History Collection Stories from our neighbors, collected in collaboration with the Lawrenceville Historical Society. Content is viewable online.
South Side Local Development Corporation Archive CLP – South Side houses the South Side Local Development Corporation Archive (SSLDC.) The SSLDC was a community-based non-profit corporation whose purpose was to promote the economic revitalization and historic preservation of Pittsburgh’s South Side. The SSLDC facilitated responsible business, recreational, residential and workforce development and provided direction, skills and technical assistance to other community groups and individuals for the benefit of the South Side. This collection contains grants, materials, reports, meeting minutes, project planning, drawings and photographs pertaining to the organization’s 30 years of operation (1982-2012.) Please contact CLP-South Side for more details at 412-431-0505 or southside@carnegielibrary.org.
West End Historical Collection Built in 1899, CLP – West End received historic designation from the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation in 2015. It is credited with holding the first children’s storytime in Pittsburgh and possibly the country. This archive was established in 2015 and is not traditional. Some of the materials are copies of original documents. The collection was organized with the intent to aid and inform researchers about this neighborhood. Please contact CLP-West End for more details at 412-921-1717 or email westend@carnegielibrary.org.

Recollection Studio

DIY Digitization Lab Appointments
The Recollection Studio supports the effective use and application of digitization technology to preserve cultural heritage materials through a Do-It-Yourself model. The dedicated space provides hardware, software, and documentation to digitize VHS tapes, audio cassette tapes, documents, photographs, slides, and negatives.

Questions? Contact the Recollection Studio at Recollectionstudio@carnegielibrary.org.

Digital Collections

Digital Collections
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh digitizes material from its collections in order to create greater access to them. This page will help you locate those digital collections and learn how to access them.