York University Libraries acquired the Children’s Literature Collection from David Mason Books in 2016 to support research and teaching in Children’s Studies and other disciplines that seek to understand the impact of these texts upon the lives and imagination of young people. The collection, which includes more than 2,500 books and periodicals from the mid-19th to 20th centuries, does not simply illustrate a popular narrative genre with challenging depictions of the past but documents the historical circumstances that resulted in the production, dissemination and reception of these books. This site offers visitors a scholarly resource to explore aspects of the collection, capturing academic insight derived from community-based knowledge and scholarship. As this site grows, additional resources will be added to advance scholarship in early children’s literature in Canada, and provide a focal point for visitors to access information about the Children’s Literature Collection held in the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections.
The Children’s Literature Collection is managed by the Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, a department of York University Libraries. Its extensive holdings of rare books and private archives are available to students, faculty, visiting scholars, and the public through a reading room on the third floor of Scott Library. While collecting has generally focused on Canadian studies (particularly women, writers, performing and visual arts, social reform, and the multicultural imagination), children’s literature has also been acquired from booksellers in North America and the United Kingdom, as well as through major donations such as the Sheila Thibaudeau Lambrinos Collection of textbooks, teachers’ manuals, and novels. This material is complemented by maps and atlases in the Map Library that chart realms of fantasy literature. These foundations for children’s studies are considerably strengthened through the Children’s Literature Collection.
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