Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature

The Baldwin Library is a special collection holding over 120,000 children's books and periodicals from the United States and Great Britain spanning from the 1600s to the present. It operates as part of the George A. Smathers Libraries and serves researchers and scholars interested in the history of children's publishing.

Ruth Baldwin started building this collection in the 1800s with inexpensive pamphlets and chapbooks, then donated approximately 35,000 titles to the University of Florida in 1977. The library has continued growing since then through ongoing acquisitions to reach its current holdings.

The collection shows how childhood and education changed over time through old reading primers, nursery rhymes, and picture books that reflect what societies valued teaching to children. Visitors can see directly in these books what lessons and stories were considered important in each era.

Researchers can access more than 6,000 digitized titles online through the University of Florida's Digital Collections website without visiting in person. Those who want to see the original books in the library should plan ahead and inquire about availability since materials are housed in a climate-controlled repository.

The collection preserves original artwork, board games, puzzles, and toys from different periods alongside the printed books. These objects reveal how children actually played and learned beyond what textbooks show.