Columbia College Chicago Library

Mission

The mission of Special Collections is to enable individuals to discover, evaluate, and use informational resources to supplement a freedom of inquiry that is an integral part of instruction and learning at Columbia College Chicago.

We strive to collect, preserve and provide unique, rare, and valuable Collections that meet the educational and cultural needs of the Columbia College community and to actively promote a welcoming student-centered environment to respond to your research needs.

Collections

Special Collections includes the following types of unique materials:

• Artists' books (books as art objects)
• Graphic novels (signed, numbered, or limited editions)
• Ad Archives (a small collection of ads arranged by subject)
• Paper Arts Collection
• Pop-up books (examples of paper engineering/art objects of special design)
• Annual reports of unique design

For the purpose of preservation, Special Collections also includes the following types of items:

• Non-standard size books (oversized/undersized/postcard books)
• Rare books
• Autographed items or items of unique value

See also: Using the Collections