Our Collection
The research collection of the Cotsen Children's Library is a major historical collection of rare illustrated children's books, manuscripts, original artwork, prints, and educational toys from the 15th century to the present day in over thirty languages. The collection has important holdings of materials in the English, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, and Russian languages.
Among the collection's treasures are an early-Coptic Christian schoolbook; medieval manuscripts; two scrapbooks assembled by Hans Christian Andersen; drawings by Edward Lear, K. F. E. Freyhold, and Samuil Marshak; many of Beatrix Potter's famous picture letters; early editions of the fairy tales of Madame d'Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, and the brothers Grimm; one of the largest collections of children's books published by John Newbery and his successors; Soviet Constructivist children's books; American dime novels, moveable books; jigsaw puzzles; and educational playing cards.
Cotsen materials do not circulate, but can be consulted in the Dulles Reading Room of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections. Researchers are strongly encouraged to contact the Curator in advance of their visit, as the collection's holdings cannot yet be searched in the Princeton online catalogue on campus or via the Internet. Its materials are described in a fully searchable local database accessible to the Cotsen curatorial staff, who can assist researchers with questions about the collection's holdings. Fellowships to use the collection's resources may be applied for through the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections' short-term library research grants.
To see a list of previous research fellows, who have made use of the Cotsen Library, their topics, and summaries of their experiences with the collection, click here.