McCain Library and Archives facts for kids
Quick facts for kids McCain Library and Archives |
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Hattiesburg, Mississippi |
| Country | United States |
| Owner | University of Southern Mississippi |
The McCain Library and Archives is a special library at The University of Southern Mississippi. It holds important books and items that you can't check out, like rare documents. This building is also home to the university's main historical records. Plus, it has the amazing de Grummond Children's Literature Collection, which is one of the biggest collections of children's books and art anywhere!
Contents
De Grummond Children's Literature Collection
The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection is a big part of the McCain Library and Archives. It's located on the Hattiesburg campus of The University of Southern Mississippi. This collection is one of the top places in North America to study children's literature. It focuses on children's books from America and Britain, both old and new.
How the Collection Started
The collection is named after Dr. Lena Y. de Grummond. She started it in 1966. Dr. De Grummond was a professor at the University of Southern Mississippi. She taught about children's literature. She gathered materials from people all over the world. More than 1200 artists, illustrators, and collectors have given books and original artworks to the collection.
Famous Donations
Dr. De Grummond contacted H.A. and Margret Rey in 1966. The Reys are the creators of the famous character Curious George. They gave a few sketches to the university's new collection. In 1996, after Margret Rey passed away, her will said that all of the Reys' literary works should go to the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection.
Another very important gift was the papers of Ezra Jack Keats. He was a famous author and illustrator of children's books. In 1998, 165 boxes of his work were added to the collection. This is the only place where you can find all of Keats's original materials. It includes artwork, rough drafts, stories, and letters. It also has photos and items from his childhood.
Curious George Collection
The McCain building is home to the world's largest collection about Curious George. Many of the original drawings for the Curious George books are kept here. The author of Curious George even made a special drawing for the university. It shows George carrying all his books. He is walking past an old sign that points to Hattiesburg. You can see a copy of this drawing in the Curious George section of Barnes and Noble. This store is located in the Thad Cochran Center.
See also
