The collection was established in 1925 with a gift of one thousand items from Lorne Pierce, editor of Ryerson Press from l920 to l960. The gift included first editions, early Canadian imprints, and books about Canadians or Canada. Pierce continued to add to the collection over the years. The collection has been augmented by the gift of the private library of Blanche Hume in 1967 and by items purchased from regular operating funds, the Edith Chown Pierce Trust, special university funds, grants, and other donations and gifts. The collection is a comprehensive collection on Canadian literature and history, with particular strengths in discovery and exploration narratives, Loyalists, the War of 1812, the opening of the West, local history, Arctica, native peoples, drama, and Canadian literature.
Much scarce material is included in the collection.
Language English and French. Supplementary material to support this collection will be found in the main stacks collection. The collection is catalogued on-line. LC subject headings and NLC Canadiana authorities are used. The material is classified according to LC and NLC classification schemes.