Subject Specialist: Suzanne Dubeau
Policy Written by: Kent Haworth
Description of Collection and Academic Programmes Supported
I. Canadiana
By definition, a special collection implies a limited scope and definite pu rpose. The foundation and scope of Special Collections is Canadian studies; its focus is post-confederation Canadiana, concentrating on Ontario subjects. Materials acquired for Special Collections support research of students, faculty, post-doctoral researchers and established scholars and authors.
Collections of significance include:
1. Canadiana: Canadian imprints, which are out-of-print and/or significant to the Canadiana Collection. Included here is the Gibson Collection acquired in 1995. The focus of the collection is Ontario and Quebec and covers history, biography, the social sciences, and the fine arts. New materials are added on a very selective basis. Consideration is given to publications that support, advanced and specialized research in Canadian studies, historically important and highly influential works, with comprehensiveness applied to York Canadian historians and social scientists.
2. Canadian Literature: Originally, a representative literature collection was assembled, with an emphasis on British, American and Canadian authors. This focus has been refined and now acquisitions are limited to the works of selected Canadian authors, playwrights, and poets, including first editions with comprehensiveness applied to those Canadian authors, particularly Ontario writers, York faculty and students, whose literary papers have been acquired. In this group are included bill bissett, Harry Boyle, Margaret Laurence, Norman Levine, Mavor Moore, Susan Swan, and Adele Wiseman.
3. Canadian Pamphlet Col lection: the CPC constitutes a major resource for students and scholars working in the field of Canadian studies. Dating from the 18th century to the present, the collection covers a wide variety of subjects that include social and political issues, religion, fine arts, and women's studies.
4. Dance: The collection includes a substantial number of rare and unusual, 19th and 20th century printed items, including souvenir programs in connection with appearances by dance and ballet companies and troupes, and individual dancers; and regular programmes of dance performances in Canadian theatres, and by Canadian dancers and dance companies. With the exception of the collections of rare dance materials at the University of Waterloo, the dance collections at York are unrivalled in Canada.
Additions to Special Collections complement the primary themes governing the acquisition of private archives, namely, Canadian women, writers, the arts, social action and urban reform, and the multi-cultural imagination. For example, the strong collection of works relating to dance, and dance history, complement and enhance strong holdings of private archives of Canadian dance companies and Canadian dancers.
The static component of Special Collections contains books of value or rarity in various subject areas, including early imprints (the earliest being a Book of Hours dated c. 1450), and books of aesthetic importance (e.g., fine printing, binding, or illustration).
Books of importance and value whose illustrations make them subject to mutilation may be also housed in Special Collections. The collection includes a number of items solely because of format, condition, or other unusual physical properties.
Limited ongoing collecting occurs. Selection decisions are made in consultation with the appropriate bibliographer.
Languages
English and French are the primary languages of the collection.
Chronological Coverage
Focus is on post-confederation Canadiana.
Duplication
No duplicates are kept in Special Collections. The collection may include added copies to titles in the circulating collections.
Types of Materials
Monographs, periodicals, maps, pamphlets and ephemera.
Gifts
Relevant collections offered by individuals or institutions are appraised and unique items added.
Resources Elsewhere in the Toronto Region
The Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library is extremely strong across the entire range of Canadian studies. The Ontario Archives has a good collection of manuscripts, newspapers, pamphlets, genealogical material and printed sources. The Archives of the City of Toronto is readily available to researchers and provides a rare opportunity for specialists in urban studies and social history. The North York Public Library has a good Canadiana Collection and it is the home for the Ontario Genealogical Society. York graduate students have access to the John P. Robarts Research Library and the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto and can exploit the potential of these research collections, which have many excellent resources to augment those at York.
Last updated 2000