A small number of books are housed in special collections for protection from vandalism and theft rather than for their intrinsic value. This collection grows almost exclusively by gift or transfer from the stacks, with the exception of titles which fall into one of the collections enumerated below. Only books with some teaching or research potential are generally accepted. The Library collects comprehensively in this area, although recently acquired works by Oberlin authors are generally no longer shelved in Special Collections. Anti-Slavery A collection of over 2,200 books, pamphlets and journals dealing with all aspects of slavery, but focussed on abolitionist activities and tracts.
Sermons are of less interest.
Imprints from the 17th century to the present are represented but most date from 1850 on. Many titles are in European languages. The Conservatory Library collects actively in this area. This is nearly a complete collection that includes the first appearance of each poem and every book in variant editions written by this author up to 1951, the date of the gift by Bruce Swift. It is a dormant collection except for one or two lacunae which the library seeks to fill as opportunity permits.