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Literary Research in Special Collections

This guide provides an introduction to conducting literary research using materials in Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Maryland Libraries.

Literary First Appearances

Literary first appearances are the first appearances in print of an author's work in a periodical. An author will often publish portions of a work serially in a magazine prior to being published in full book form.

A poem, story, or article may appear in a magazine before it is published in book form, A story may first appear in print in a periodical and later be expanded or adapted and published in book form, or a chapter or excerpt of a work may be first published in a periodical before the publication of the entire work.

Browse the collections below to discover literary first appearances available in Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Maryland. 

Works of British and World Literature

Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Maryland houses many works of British and World literature. The Rare Books Collection contains works published before 1900. The Special Collections book collections contains works published after 1900, including modern reprints and special editions. Some areas of note are early modern European works of literature, early 20th century German literature, and 20th century British literature.

Search the UMD Catalog for Items in Special Collections

Use the University of Maryland classic catalog to search for titles in the rare book collection by date of publication, author, or keyword. Select Advanced Search and select Marylandia and Rare Books to search for works housed in Special Collections and University Archives.

Contact us with any questions about locating books in Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Maryland.

All rare books can be requested online and viewed in the Maryland Room, located in Hornbake Library at the University of Maryland College Park.

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