A Vision Realized

The Society’s librarians and curators have continued to collect broadly, not knowing what will be of interest in the future.  Because of this approach, time and again researchers have found at the Society precisely those primary sources essential for their research. Objects illustrating recent curatorial collecting strategies, from transatlantic imprints to manuscript periodicals, are exhibited here.

New material is made available for scholarship in multiple ways.  AAS continues to explore digitization projects and forge partnerships—some fifteen million pages from the collection have been made available digitally.  Collaborative research at the Society can be seen in several initiatives, including a long-term project on the works of James Fenimore Cooper and in the Society’s Program in the History of the Book in American Culture (PHBAC), which helped establish the field of book history as a discipline in the United States.

The continued support, both financial and in-kind, of many donors continues to strengthen the Society’s collection as it enters its third century. Over ninety endowed book funds now offer crucial support for purchases in multiple areas, including children’s literature, graphic arts, books, and newspapers. The Society’s success remains a collective achievement shared by many individuals, both past and present, whose commitment and generosity have made it a reality.