Traditionally, rare and special collections have been intimidating to potential patrons, with real or perceived barriers to entry. The Rare Book Department wants to encourage all Philadelphians to feel shared ownership of the cultural heritage items in the Library and has curated a small selection of rare and unique treasures that can travel to schools and library branches for students to touch and experience.

The traveling collection consists of more than 30 items, representative of the Rare Book Department’s collection strengths. The collection has been purchased for the program, and the items are therefore able to travel and be handled on a more intensive basis than the Department’s in-house materials. By encouraging hands-on use of special collections materials, and introducing broad outlines of book history, participants are no longer alienated from using the materials in house in the future.

To date, the Rare Book Department has presented its Traveling Treasures programming to more than 20 groups, including specially modified programs for groups with developmental delays. From qualitative feedback, we’ve had visitors to the Department who were introduced to our collections from a Traveling Treasures program. Hands-on interactive features are also being incorporated into the upcoming Big and Small exhibition, also designed to be of interest to young learners.