The story of the book is the story of human existence. Books are found in every part of the world. Whether they are in the form of clay tablets or printed pages they hold the secrets of the past.
The Rare Books Division of Special Collections at the J. Willard Marriott Library preserves this past for the benefit of present and future generations. The Marriott Library holds over 60,000 items are available to the local community and researchers from around the world.
The University of Utah is the guardian of a very unique and valuable collection. Thanks to Dr. Aziz S. Atiya and his wife Lola, the University has the third largest Arabic papyrus collection in the world. Through this collection the world can gain insight into a culture that existed 1200 years ago.
Papyrus 733b
Rare Books Division, Special Collections,
J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah
The University of Utah is ranked among the top 35 public research institutions for its involvement in science and medicine. The Rare Book Division maintains a collections to support it. The first printed editions of Euclid’s Elementa Geometria, Vesalius revolutionary book of human anatomy, and Galileo’s scandalous Dialogo are only the beginnings of a list of important works related to science and medicine.
The rare book collections are not limited to the distant past or to written words. The book as an object plays a significant role in our understanding of culture and art. Elaborate illumination, intricate prints, and impressive paintings are only part of what can be the art of the book. The fine press and book arts movements take a critical look at the object of the book as art itself. Every aspect of the book is part of a masterpiece. Even a simple binding with blank pages can contain insight into art.
The rare books collections at the J. Willard Marriott Library connect technological breakthroughs, past and present, with the human drive for aesthetic expression, bringing together shape, color, texture and thought.
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