To All Who Know Their ABCs, Greeting: A History of the ABCs, Lilly Library, Indiana University

Abstract

One of my most satisfying experiences as a graduate student in history and library science at Indiana University was mounting an exhibit at the Lilly Library. A project for the archives and manuscripts class, my exhibit was entitled “A Brief History of the ABCs” and drew on an extremely rich collection. Children’s literature was a particular interest of J.K. Lilly, and the Library holds nearly 10,000 children’s books in a still-growing collection—a key part of which is its ABC books and primers. Although it was a short-term exhibit, the topic deserves broader attention, thus I present it here. I hope it will educate and enlighten and evoke renewed appreciation for some of the treasures the IU Libraries have to offer.