Using this Site
Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist Seymour Schulich and Dr. Daniel Woolf partnered to gift their personal collections of rare books to Queen’s. In recognition of their generosity and vision, the university established the Schulich-Woolf Rare Book Collection.
Combining more than 400 volumes from their personal collections, the Schulich-Woolf Rare Book Collection is focused on history and culture as expressed through early modern printing. The collection spans early 16th-century history to 20th-century imprints on Canadian history and travel. The bulk of the collection are works from the 16th and 18th century on English history.
In addition, Mr. Schulich made two $1-million gifts to the university towards the establishment, growth and preservation of the collection.
Through Mr. Schulich's continued support, we have actively added to the original 400 volume donation by acquiring 16th-century English printed books. Most of the new acquisitions are the only copies in public collections in Canada and we strive to collect materials that enhance both the collection and scholarship.
The Schulich-Woolf Rare Book Collection is on display in the W.D. Jordan Rare Books and Special Collections located in the Douglas Library. Students, faculty staff and researchers are welcome to browse the collection and use the materials in this space. This collection is intended for teaching and we welcome classes to use both the books and the space.
Our Intent
While the collection is fully catalogued and available through the library's online catalogue, we wanted to provide access to the collection in a way that allows researchers worldwide to easily browse it. We strive to provide copy specific details with each item and include a link to the catalogue record as well. For now we have only captured images of the title page, but we welcome requests for additional images.
On this site you will also find virtual exhibits, including 'Introducing the Schulich-Woolf Rare Book Collection,' which includes a reproduction of the physical exhibition that commemorated the establishment of the collection. We encourage faculty to build Omeka exhibits with their students. Through building an online exhibit students can make connections across the collection and engage in original primary source research. Exhibits from classes will be clearly designated.
Using the Collection
We welcome all researchers to use this collection and hope that this site will provide a gateway to accessing the materials.
If you choose to incorporate images from this site into your print or online publications, we kindly ask that you caption the image: “Courtesy of W.D. Jordan Rare Books and Special Collections, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario.” We are happy to send higher resolution images if needed. Please make use of the Contact Us form on this site for image requests or any other information.
The Schulich-Woolf Rare Book Collection is open to everyone. You can read any of the books in our reading room during regular hours: Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30.
If you have any questions about the collection, do not hesitate to contact us!
Many Thanks!
The original iteration of this site in 2015-16 would not have come together without the help and work of several people! Many thanks to this fantastic team!
Alvan Bregman, Curator, Schulich-Woolf Rare Book Collection
Jillian Sparks, Special Collections Librarian
Anna Soper, librarian intern who tirelessly added each item, the metadata, and photos.
Paul Clifford, Queen's University Library Systems Coordinator
This site has continued to evolve and grow with the assistance of:
Kim Bell, Coordinator
Daniella Cruz, Senior Special Collections Technician
Brendan Edwards, Curator, Schulich-Woolf Rare Book Collection
Vanessa Selics, Senior Special Collections Technician