Adopt-a-Book Program

Adopt a Box: Conservator's Choice! With this option, we will choose an item in need of an enclosure and put your name on the electronic bookplate. The staff in the conservation lab make on average 5,000 custom enclosures a year. There is always something in the lab that needs a box. Candidates may come from any part of our collections including Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University Archives, Music Library locked stacks, or Lilly Library locked stacks. 

NEW!

Four titles by Octavia Butler. Each of these books is in very good condition but need a four-flap box to protect the publisher's original dust jackets.

Wild Seed (Garden City, New York; 1980). The fourth book of the Patternist series, it is the earliest book in the chronology of the Patternist world.

Clay's Ark (New York; 1984) The last published of Butler's Patternist series, the novel is a prequel that accounts for the arrival of the Clay Ark disease that leads to the evolution of clayarks, the mutants that threaten human survival in the other books in the series.

Mind of My Mind (Garden City, New York; 1977) This title is the second in Butler's Patternist series and the sequal to Patternmaster .

Patternmaster (Garden City, New York; 1976) This title is the first in Butler's Patternist series. The story depicts a distant future where the human race has been sharply divided into the dominant Patternists and their enemies the the Clayarks.

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

NEW!

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (London, 1996). This is book one of Martin's fantasy story of treachery, greed, and war that threatens the unity of the Seven Kingdoms of south of the Wall. This edition is inscribed to Charles N. Brown from the author. Original dust jacket.

The Left Hand of Darkness   by Ursula Le Guin (New York, 1969). Le Guin's Hainish series begins with the assumption that centuries ago humanoids from the planet Hain ventured through the solar system establishing colonies on various planets including Earth. This is the first hardcover edition. Original dust jacket.

The Citadel of the Autarch by Gene Wolfe (New York, 1983). This title i s the fourth and final volume in the four-volume series The Book of the New Sun. What makes this edition interesting is that it has three dust jackets. The original as issued, and an additional two identical dust jackets.

These three volumes were acquired as part of the Locus Science Fiction Foundation Collection. We are adopting these as a set of three individually made custom corrugated boxes . 

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Adopt for $150

NEW!

Salem's Lot by Stephen King (Garden City, New York, 1975). Stephen King's second novel, the classic vampire bestseller 'SALEM'S LOT , tells the story of evil in small-town America. You will not forget the town of 'salem's Lot nor any of the people who used to live here. Original dust jacket.

Stranger in a Strage Land by Robert A. Heinlein (New York, 1961). This volume is signed by Robert A. Heinlein in black ink; an inscription in blue ink, written by Heinlein, references Jubal Harshaw and Jill Boardman, characters in Strangers in a strange land. There is also a pen drawing of the dog Snoopy in blue ink above the title on half-title page. Signed: DEW. Original dust jacket.

The Shining by Stephen King (Garden City, New York, 1977). One of King's classics tells the story of Jack Torrance and what he finds at the Overlook Hotel when he takes a new job. Inscribed to Charles N. Brown from Stephen King, dated 9/8/1979. Original dust jacket.

These three volumes were acquired as part of the Locus Science Fiction Foundation Collection. We are adopting these as a set of three individually made custom corrugated boxes . 

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Adopt for $150

NEW!

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (c.2) by Robert A. Heinlein (New York, 1966). Widely considered one of the best science fiction novelists, Robert Heinlein won four Hugo Awards for best novel including one for The Moon is a Harsh Mistress . This tale of revolution and rebellion needs a protective enclosure to protect its as-issued publisher's dust jacket. This volume is inscribed to Charles N. and Dena Brown from the author. Original dust jacket.

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein (New York, 1959). This military science fiction novel won Heinlein a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1960. Not without its critics, this novel was influential on many writing genres. Original dust jacket. Signed by the author with inscription.

The Green Hills of Earth by Robert A. Heinlein (Chicago, 1951). This novel was one of Heinlein's Future History stories that was first published in The Saturday Evening Post. Original dust jacket.

These three volumes were acquired as part of the Locus Science Fiction Foundation Collection. We are adopting these as a set of three individually made custom corrugated boxes . 

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Adopt for $150

NEW!

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein (Boston and New York, 1938). Tolkein was awarded a prize for best juvenile fiction for this work by the New York Herald Tribune, and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal.  This edition lacks its original dust jacket but we still adore it with its little bowing Hobbit on the cover. It needs a custom cloth clamshell enclosure to protect the binding.

This volume were acquired as part of the Locus Science Fiction Foundation Collection.

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

ADOPTED!

Broadway Theatre Posters  by Wendy Nelson-Cave (1993). This beautifully illustrated book looks back at over 100 years of Broadway history through the art of the theatre poster. Ephemeral by nature, theatre posters demonstrate the evolution of the medium from advertisement to art. This book is in very good condition. Because it has a lovely, original dust jacket we want to give it a custom housing to keep it in excellent condition.

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Adopt for $150

No: Classical Theatre of Japan  by Donald Keene (1966). This book is an amazing look into the world of Japanese theatrical tradition. It is in its original publisher's dust jacket and slipcase. However, the original slipcase is cardboard. The problem with slipcases are they can abrade the covers when the book is taken removed and put back into the slipcase. We need to create a custom housing for both the book and its slipcase so that these items remain together, but are both protected from needless wear and tear.

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Adopt for $150

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress , by Robert A. Heinlein (1966). Widely considered one of the best science fiction novelists, Robert Heinlein won four Hugo Awards for best novel including one for  The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. This tale of revolution and rebellion needs a protective enclosure to protect its as-issued publisher's dust jacket.

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Adopt for $150

The Naked and the Dead , by Norman Mailer (1948). This book recalls Mailer's military service in the Phillapines in World War II. The novel was later adapted into a film. The original New Yorker critique of the novel can be found online . This book needs an enclosure to keep the original dust jacket protected.

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Adopt for $150

NEW!

Children and Gardens by Gertrude Jekyll (London, 1933). Jekyll was a British horticulturist, garden designer, writer, and artist. She created over 400 gardens in the UK, Europe, and the US. This volume includes instructions on gardening written for children (and their adults); recipes; and illustrations including Ms. Jekyll's cat.

Chinese Women Speak by Dymphna Cusack (Sydney, 1958). This is Cusack's account of her travels in China in the mid 1950's. Valuable for its verbatim reports of her interviews with Chinese women.

New Plays for Women and Girls by Samuel French LTD (New York, Los Angeles, London, 1932). This volume contains fifteen one-act plays.

These three volumes were acquired as part of the Lisa Unger Baskin Collection . Each book's dust jacket needs some conservation treatment to stabilize small tears. They also need a custom corrugated box to protect the bindings.

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Adopt for $300

Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers , published 1751-72, by Denis Diderot. This is the first encyclopedia to have the contents organized by human thought rather than by nature or theology. This publication was considered innovative in part because it emphasized the mechanical arts, and it named the various authors that contributed content. This complete set contains 70 volumes of text, illustrations and supplements. Each volume needs a custom-made enclosure and many need minor repair to the texts and foldouts.

66 of 70 volumes available for adoption

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Adopt for $300 per volume

Adopted:
T. 1
Plate v. 5
Plate v.7
Plate v. 8

The Naturalist's Library by William Jardine (1835-1843). This 40 volume series includes  The Naturalist's Library , The Naturalist's Library: Mammalia , The Naturalist's Library: Ichthyology , and The Naturalist's Library: Ornithology . Even though the full text of these volumes are available in Hathi Trust (see catalog records for links), the online version does not do justice to the beautifully hand colored illustrations in these volumes. Each book in this series needs a four-flap enclosure to keep the binding safe. You can fund the boxing of the entire 40 volume set with one adoption.

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Adopt all 40 vols. for $350

An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser (1925, first edition). Loosely based on real events this story follows Clive Griffiths, a son of two misionaries, who takes a job as a bell hop then in a factory. After making several poor choices he ends up on trial for murder. This two-volume set has some prior repairs that are damaging the original dust jackets. The original publishers slip case is damaging the books, so an enclosure that houses the books and slip case will be made so that all three pieces are protected.

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Adopt the 2-volume set for $400

NEW!

Lord of the Rings (v.1-3) by J.R.R. Tolkein (London, 2954-1955). All your favorite characters from Middle Earth. Join them as they embark on their quest, match wits against Sauron, and invent our new favorite meal "Second Breakfast." These are first editions with their original dust jackets.

These volumes were acquired as part of the Locus Science Fiction Foundation Collection. They each need a custom corrugated box to protect the binding.

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Dante con lespositione di Christoforo Landino [c.2] ,  by Dante Alighieri (1564) Illustrated with the woodcuts from Marcolini's edition of 1544. This is also the first appearance of AB's woodcut portrait of Dante. This book's headcaps are damaged and the front board is off. It also needs a custom enclosure to protect the fragile binding.

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Birds of America by John James Audubon. These are stunning double elephant folios printed from 1827–1803. This set contains four volumes. Three volumes need full conservation attention to repair the broken and loose sewing and boards before the damage becomes so severe they cannot be used.

3 of 3 volumes available for adoption.

(Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Wild Seed (Garden City, New York; 1980) [DUKE008109809]

Clay's Ark (New York; 1984) [DUKE003314481]

Mind of My Mind (Garden City, New York; 1977) [DUKE000241715]

Patternmaster (Garden City, New York; 1976) [DUKE008109724]

The North American Indian,   by Edward Curtis (1907-1930), portfolio plates. [DUKE000435659]

12/6/2017

The North American Indian,   by Edward Curtis (1907-1930), text volumes. [DUKE000435659]

11/21/2017

A Vindication on the Rights of Women , by Mary Wollstonecraft (1792). [DUKE002396752]

11/15/2017

Paradise Lost, by John Milton (1669). [DUKE000219398]

6/21/2017

Edwin and Terry Murray Comic Book Collection and the Comic Book and Graphic Novel Collection.
Titles adopted include: Watchmen [DUKE007672490]; Justice League of America [DUKE007540127]

12/19/2016

Bonnie Burrus Corwin (T'82)

  The Bluest Eye , by Toni Morrison. [DUKE003164599]

8/19/2016

This generous gift will support the conservation of numerious materials. As these items come to Conservation, we will add the titles here.

11/26/2013-

7/13/2016

Travels into several remote nations of the world , by Jonathan Swift, vols. 1-2. [DUKE002166870] Read about this project on Preservation Underground.

Manual of Human Anatomy , by Robert Knox [DUKE000856887].

The question of rest for women during menstruation, by Mary Putnam Jacobi [DUKE000662895]

Biblia hepta...Libri septem , by Aegineta Paulus [DUKE000713234]

Sexti libri decratalium... , by Pope Bonafice VIII [DUKE002521394]

The Color Purple, by Alice Walker [DUKE000484767]

A Picture Book Without Pictures [DUKE001478489] and Little Rudy and Other Tales [DUKE002125645] by Hans Christian Andersen.

Andrew Boney (T'04)

Toad of Toad Hall, by A.A. Milne [DUKE006094080]

Der swangern Frawen und Hebammen Roszgarten, by Eucharius Rosslin. [DUKE002129192]

Slaughterhouse-five or The children's crusade, by Kurt Vonnegut [DUKE000000633]

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley [DUKE001332100]

Catch 22 , by Joseph Heller [DUKE003234716]

Of Mice and Men , by John Steinbeck [DUKE001351443]

Old Man and the Sea , by Ernest Hemingway [DUKE001713727]

Signed basketball (1992) , Artifacts and Relics Collection, 1830's-ongoing. Duke University Archives. [ UA98-85; Box 17] [DUKE003921889]

Proposed design of Duke University , drawn by the Horace Trumbauer firm for James B. Duke, 1924. Duke University Archives. [DUKE003205743]

Recueil de planches, sur les sciences, les arts liberaux, et les arts mechaniques, avec leur explication... (plate v.7) by Denis Diderot [DUKE000936143]

Native Son by Richard Wright (1940, first edition) [DUKE000537516]
The Common Reader , Second Series by Virginia Woolf (1932, first edition) [DUKE000027581]

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath [DUKE003857200]

Lord of the Flies , by William Golding [DUKE003857078]

Het achterhuis : dagboekbrieven van 12 Juni 1942-1 Augustus 1944 , by Anne Frank. [DUKE003857076]

Geographia vniversalis by Ptolemy (t.1) [DUKE001989929]
Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, (v.1) by Denis Diderot [DUKE000362924]

Ann Beman

Villette by Charlotte Bronte [DUKE003856456]

Robert Joseph Kubek, MD '86

Edmund M. Cameron Scrapbooks

Barbara Branson

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck [DUKE000035394]

Will Hansen and Jaime Danehey

Phrenological Description of W. Whitman , Age 29 Occupation Printer by L.N. Fowler