As the new academic year begins, visitors to the Leatherby Libraries can enjoy two new displays that showcase some of the most unique gems held by the Rare Books Collection of the Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special Collections & Archives, both curated by Special Collections librarian Rand Boyd.

On the first floor, next to the elevators, is “Tiny Treasures: Selections from the Miniature Book Collection.” This display is a small (no pun intended) selection of miniature books from our extensive miniature book collection. One highlight is the miniature reproduction of a deckle and hand mold used to make paper by hand. This display will be up until the end of September.

On the fourth floor, in the hallway just outside the Frank Mt. Pleasant Library, is “The Shape of Printing: Selections from the California Die-Cut Collection.” This display consists of a variety of commercial die-cut ephemera from California job printers. Die-cutting involves creating a cutting template that is used to trim the printed paper to a shape. There are many interesting die-cuts in the display: a frog, a carpenter’s saw, a pig, as well as a 3-D covered wagon. One of the highlights is a children’s menu from the iconic Bullocks Pasadena department store. The menu is in the shape of a circus wagon with a lion in the wagon. This display will be up through the Fall semester.