Special Collections
1 John Carroll Boulevard
Grasselli Library and Breen Learning Center,
Room 324
University Heights, Ohio 44118
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The oldest books in John Carroll University's library, printed in Western Europe between 1450 and 1800 using movable metal type. Books in this collection are largely ecclesiastical.
Donated by alumnus Robert E. Heltzel, Jr. ’70. Includes documents signed by President Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) and other important Civil War era individuals; works by Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), George Catlin (1796–1872), and Walt Whitman (1819–1892).
Books, journals, photographs, microfilm, manuscript materials, some artwork. Includes works by and about G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936), and by members of his "circle," Hilaire Belloc (1870–1973), Eric Gill (1882–1940), Frederick Rolfe ("Baron Corvo") (1860–1913), and Francis Thompson (1859–1907).
This collection demonstrates the authorial process from early stages of publishing to critical assessment. Spotlighting Morrison, who was raised in nearby Lorain, Ohio, this small collection features signed first editions as well as uncorrected proof copies of her works.
All of the books in this collection are smaller than 3" tall or wide. The books range in date from the 17th century (1600s!) to the present. The range of subjects is broad, but the tiny tomes demonstrate the arts of the book. All of JCUSC's miniature books have been cataloged and classified in the Libraries’ catalog, Carroline, as of 2025. Searching the catalog using the subject heading “miniature books” will bring up the majority of titles.
Manuscript materials are anything that was created by human hands. The oldest items in JCUSC in this category are estimated to have been written, by hand, in the 1600s. Distinctive collections of manuscripts at JCU include: English land deeds and transfers; coats of arms; the Carroll-Caton Family Papers; nineteenth-century correspondence; letters between Maurice Baring (1874–1945) and Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953); typewritten manuscripts and hand-corrected documents by G. K. Chesterton; the papers of Robert John Bayer; and materials documenting the history and development of JCU Special Collections.
JCUSC's collections of drawings, prints, and photographs began with accessory materials in the Robert John Bayer Memorial Collection. As of 2025, this large category has expanded to include chromolithographic prints from the 19th century; photographic prints; engravings; original pen-and-ink editorial cartoons by Charles Nelan (1859–1904); and pastel drawings by G. K. Chesterton.
Over time, JCU community members donated artifacts and other physical materials that are not books to Special Collections. Among these items held by JCUSC are Papal Coins, Medals, and Medallions; a set of Vatican postage stamps; a crucifix from Guatemala; and a statue of Guanjin.