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Rare Book & Manuscript Library at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Main Library 346 Follow us on Instagram (illinois_rbml) and Facebook (IllinoisRBML)!

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University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· 12d

Today is the International Day of Friendship, which celebrates the bonds people make with one another around the world. Be sure to show your appreciation for your friends today!

Illustrated book cover for May I Bring a Friend? (1964).

Top: open book with an illustration of a king and queen sitting on their thrones. Bottom: open book with illustrations of a small boy, queen, and king having tea with zoo animals.

Front board with an illustration of a small boy and lion wearing masks.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· 20d

If a player landed on a "mischievous" figure, such as the untrustworthy "Story Teller," they would be punished. Notable is the game's use of a teetotum instead of a die, which was associated with the "vice" of gambling. This video demonstrates the use of a teetotum with our 3D-printed model.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· 20d

Need to add something new to your game night rotation? Look no further than A New, Moral, and Entertaining Game of the Reward of Merit (1801). These images show a portion of the original linen game board and our playable facsimile!

Image of a partial game board titled "A New, Moral, and Entertaining Game of THE REWARD OF MERIT."

Close-up of a 3D-printed teetotum and modern game pieces on top of a facsimile game board.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· 26d

Happy World Snake Day! World Snake Day is a global awareness day dedicated to appreciating the diversity, beauty, and ecological importance of snakes. Snakes feature as both symbols and specimens in our holdings, so slither on down to RBML and check them out! 🐍

Illustration of the “Ouroboros," which depicts a snake eating its own tail.

Illustration of a snake, titled "Vipera Mas."

Illustration of a serpent with a broad body.

Illustration of a snake skeleton, titled "Sceleton anguis Aefculapij."

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Jul 1

RBML will be closed on Friday, July 3 in observance of Indepencence Day, and will reopen with our modified summer hours on Monday, July 6. In view of the 250th anniversary, here is a copy of the Declaration of Independence, published in miniature by Achille J. St Onge for the U.S. Bicentennial.

Hand holding open a miniature book, showing the well-known passage of the Declaration of Independence that begins "We hold these Truths to be self-evident..."

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Jun 17

RBML will be closed on Friday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth. We will reopen on Monday, June 22, with our modified summer hours.

Poetry broadside of "The Ballad of the Free" by Margaret Walker superimposed over a shaded background.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Jun 11

Goaaaal! Or shall we say, Gol! ⚽️ Today marks the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, taking place in several US cities plus Mexico and Canada. We’re joining the summer soccer—ahem, football—fun-train with some books dedicated to the beautiful sport.

Illustration of football players titled "The Dribbling Game."

Left: Title page for Athletics and Football (1887) by Montague Shearman. Right: Book page with an illustration of men tackling one another titled "Collared."

Illustration of a playing field surrounded by buildings in Florence, Italy.

Left: Title page for Memorie del calcio fiorentino: tratte da diverse scritture e dedicate all'altezze serenissime di Ferdinando principe di Toscana e Violante Beatrice di Baviera (1688). Right: Front cover of a program for the Tottenham Hotspur football club 1964-1965 season.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· May 29

Today's Collection Spotlight is an example of papier-mâché binding, a popular feature of Gothic Revival gift books, designed by English artist Henry Noel Humphreys (1810-1879). This technique involved applying a plaster mixture over or combined with papier-mâché, which was then pressed into a mold.

High-relief papier-mâché binding with a terra cotta cameo of Shakespeare.

High-relief papier-mâché binding with a terra cotta cameo of Shakespeare's initials.

Page of text titled "Ambition" within a chromolithographed illuminated ornamental border.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· May 22

RBML will be closed on Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day. We will reopen with our modified summer hours on Tuesday, May 26.

Image of "In Flanders Fields" superimposed on an image of poppies and other flowers.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· May 21

Ever wondered about the origins of the term "venereal disease"? Or want to look at a beautifully illuminated early Greek translation of the New Testament? How about both at the same time? Check out our latest blog post: wordpress.library.illinois.edu/rbx/2026/05/...

Two pages with illuminated initials and painted coat of arms.

Page with enlarged type and illuminated initial.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· May 11

Happy belated Mother's Day from RBML! The first photo shows Gwendolyn Brooks next to her mother, Keziah C. Wims Brooks (second from right), and her two children, Henry Blakely III (far left) and Nora Blakely (in regalia) in 1972.

Photo of Henry Blakely III, Nora Brooks Blakely, Keziah C. Wims Brooks, and Gwendolyn Brooks outside Assembly Hall.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· May 8

We had so much fun painting fore-edges at our event yesterday! Thank you to everyone who came and participated, and a special thanks to the artists who let us share their work here! 🎨📚

Three people posing with their fore-edge paintings.

Five people posing with their fore-edge paintings.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· May 6

May is Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month! These artists’ books by Jana Sim explore the challenges of living with two different languages. “Konglish” features movable paper wheels (volvelles). “Language Möbius” represents the mental loop between Korean and English in a conversation.

Cover to an artist's book reading "Konglish" in blue and white letters on a white background.

A blue and red volvelle (paper wheel) featuring words in Korean and English.

A page featuring several circles made up of words in Korean and English in blue and red, each bordered with the phrase "Two different languages MIXED in my head." The word "MIXED" has both blue and red letters.

A Möbius strip with blue and red words in Korean and English.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· May 4

Just a sneak peek at some of the available designs we'll have at our Splendid Spredges event this week! Be sure to BYOB(ooks) to test them out yourself! 📚🎨

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Apr 29

Join us on Thursday, May 7, from 3-5 pm and celebrate the semester’s end at RBML! Bring your own books and paint the edges with our supplies, and view historical fore-edge paintings from RBML's collection. All are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served.

Graphic with text: "Come craft with us! Splendid Spredges. Thursday, May 7th, 3-5 pm in the RBML. Bring along your own book or sketchbook, and paint the edges with our craft supplies! Books that are at least one inch thick will work best with our stencils. Historical fore-edge paintings from the RBML collection will also be on display in our Reading Room. This activity is free and open to everyone!"

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Apr 22

Happy Earth Day! 🌎 Understanding how Earth has changed over time is essential to our ability to protect its future. These materials provide some insight into how our planet has historically been observed and recorded, with particular focus on the United States.

A color map of the United States from the East Coast to the western Missouri Territory using colors to denote different soil types.

A black-and-white illustration of soil stratum with horses and buggies traveling on the road above.

A black-and-white illustration of a forest in the foreground with a mountain range and waterfall in the background.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Apr 15

Our newest blog post features reflections from RBML's archives staff on processing some now-available collections! Visit the following link to learn more: wordpress.library.illinois.edu/rbx/2026/04/...

Left: Letter to "GMHC Supporter" from Madonna. Right: AIDS Dance-A-Thon flyer featuring artwork by Keith Haring.

Left: Letter written by Henry DeWolf Smyth to his father Charles Henry Smyth Jr., written from Cambridge, dated May 7, 1922. Includes the line “Also in the lab I did a job that rather pleased me.” Right: Broadside with heading “The official narrative – (the “Smyth Report”), Atomic Energy for Military Purposes: A General Account of Its Development under the Auspices of the United States Government, 1940-1945, By Henry DeWolf Smyth.” Announces that the report will be released “about September 15.”

Left: Poster with text: "CHILDREN Tired of Being Harrassed by Your Stupid Parents? ACT NOW! Move Out, Get a JOB, Pay Your Own Bills, While You Still KNOW EVERYTHING!” Right: Print with text: “Once you learn to READ, you will be forever FREE. (FREDERICK DOUGLASS).”

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Apr 8

The results are in! After 15 rounds, you chose RBML's oldest item, the Clay tablet with Sumerian cuneiform script, as the winner of RBML Madness 2026. 🥇🏆 You can check out the completed bracket at the following link: go.library.illinois.edu/RBMLMadness2... Thanks for playing along!

Graphic with text: "Your 2026 RBML Madness Winner: Clay tablet with Sumerian cuneiform script, ca. 2200 BCE. Shelfmark: F. Pre-1650 MS 0272."

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Apr 6

Did you know RBML's holdings extend far beyond books and manuscripts? Our new pop-up exhibit, “What is this Place? An Exploration of the RBML and its Collections,” is now up and ready for visitors. Stop by and discover all the unique items RBML has to offer! 💫

Graphic with Text: "What is this Place? An Exploration of the RBML and Its Collections—A Pop Up Exhibit." On Display at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library. April 1st–30th."

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Apr 1

Join us on Friday, 4/17 from 3-5 pm for a Global Book History lecture by Dr. Warren C. Brown (California Institute of Technology), titled "Textual Materiality in the Medieval World." All are welcome and refreshments will be served.

Graphic with text: "Global Book History Lecture: Textual Materiality in the Medieval World. Friday, April 17 3-5pm in the RBML. Dr. Warren C. Brown (Caltech). This talk is free and open to all audiences!"

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Mar 25

This 1806 pocket atlas, with engravings by John Cary (1754?-1835), contains detailed maps of the counties, towns, and roads of England and Wales. Accompanying these are an index of each town and its distance to London, and possibly the cutest little pencil, which captured RBML's collective heart.

Image of a hand holding a small wooden pencil.

Red wraparound portfolio binding showing a slot for a small pencil.

Left: map of England and Wales. Right: index of the market and borough towns of England and Wales.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Mar 17

In the spirit of March Madness, so begins RBML Madness! ✨️ Each weekday at 12 PM CDT (3/17-4/6), check out our Instagram story to vote for your favorite item from some of RBML’s most popular materials. The winners of each round will compete until only one item remains (in the contest, don't worry)!

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Mar 11

Join us on Thursday, March 26 from 3-5 pm for a talk by Dr. Anastassios Antonaras (Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki). This event is sponsored by the Department of Classics and hosted at RBML. It is free and open to all audiences, and refreshments will be served.

Graphic with text: "Dr. Anastassios Antonaras. Of Colored Glass: Luxury, Loss, and Imitation from Antiquity to Byzantium. Thursday, March 26, 3-5 pm in the RBML. Learn about the emergence of Byzantine glass as a powerful medium of splendor, authority, and sacred presence. This talk is free and open to all audiences!"

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Mar 4

In honor of Women's History Month, we are highlighting materials from the Nina Baym Western Women Writers Collection, which includes Western novels (many of which feature female protagonists), memoirs, and scholarship on women in the American West.

Color illustration from "The Delafield Affair" featuring a man and woman on horseback in the American West, with the caption "It had come, this question she had not meant to let him ask."

Cover for "Adele Doring on a Ranch" by Grace May North, featuring a woman wearing a cowboy hat riding on a horse with cacti in the background.

Cover for "The Biography of a Prairie Girl" by Eleanor Gates, featuring a white flower and green leaves.

Cover for "The Giants" by Mrs. Fremont Older, featuring an oil rig with flames coming out of the top.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Feb 25

Exactissima (1625), by Italian physicist and botanist Petrus Castelli, is one of RBML's oldest illustrated botanical texts. Featuring beautiful woodcuts and plate engravings of exotic plants, it is more than just a scientific textbook. 🌸

Book open to display the chapter on "Hyivcca canedana" on the right page, and an illustration of the plant on the left.

Left: single page with an illustration of a flowering plant with the label "Flores Maracot." Right: single page with an illustration of a fruiting plant labeled "Flores Maracot."

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Feb 17

Happy Lunar New Year! 🌑✨ To celebrate the Year of the Horse, we are featuring four images of horses from the tomb of Tang-dynasty Chinese emperor 太宗 Taizong (r. 626-649 AD). These lithographic reproductions, however, were created in the 20th century.

Close-up of a black-and-white lithograph of a galloping horse wearing a saddle and bridle.

Black-and-white lithograph of a standing horse wearing a saddle and bridle.

Black-and-white lithograph of a galloping horse wearing a saddle and bridle that has been struck with five arrows.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Feb 13

Happy Valentine's Day! ❤️ Love can be found in all corners of RBML's collections, from drawings of birds that mate for life to collections of love poems to rom-com press kits and more!

Photorealistic color drawing of a Whooping Crane.

Book cover for Twenty Love Poems and A Song of Despair (1969) by Pablo Neruda.

Press kit images for Never Been Kissed (1999) starring Drew Barrymore.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Feb 10

Join us on Thursday, February 26 from 3-5 pm for a talk by Dr. Elias Petrou (Literatures and Languages Library), titled "The Evolution of the Greek Book: From Byzantine Manuscripts to Renaissance Incunabula." This event is free and all are welcome. Refreshments will be served.

"Dr. Elias Petrou. The Evolution of the Greek Book: From Byzantine Manuscripts to Renaissance Incunabula. Thursday, February 26, 3-5 pm in the RBML. Learn about the evolution and transmission of the Greek book from East to West, and how this inherited book culture was transformed through the new technology of print. This talk is free and open to all audiences!"

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Feb 4

In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting some of our Broadside Press materials! Broadside Press (now Broadside Lotus Press) is a Detroit-based publisher of Black poets and writers founded in 1965 by poet-librarian Dudley Randall.

Photo of the Broadside Press storefront with a 10th Anniversary book display.

Broadside Series No. 81: "All of Us Are All of Us" by Lucille Clifton.

Page from Broadside Memories highlighting Dudley Randall with text titled "Broadside Press: A Personal Chronicle..."

Page from Broadside Memories featuring an advertisement for Lotus Press.

University of Illinois RBML@illinoisrbml· Jan 28

Curses upon ye! How does a book owner stop thieves from stealing their books? Well, in the medieval period, one popular method to discourage thievery was book curses. These curses often threatened that excommunication or anathema (a formal curse from the church) would befall the thief.