Frank M. Blackburn Collection

Pardon Our Noise

We wish to apologize for construction noise on the north side of the building. Our Large Group Study Rooms and study tables near the first floor Loan collection may be affected. This construction will start Monday, 10/14/24, and be ongoing through November. Please see our staff at the Access Desk for assistance reserving an appropriate study room.

The The Frank M. Blackburn Collection and Reading Room was named to honor Frank M. Blackburn, University Librarian from 1958-1982 and collector of rare books. The collection mainly consists of books by and about Thomas Wolfe.

Please see the following FAQs for information on the use of this collection:

The Frank M. Blackburn Reading Room also includes:

books by and about the Powys brothers, John Cowper Powys, T.F. Powys, and Llewelyn Powys;
the Smith-Sheffy Memorial Library;
the Loula Grace Erdman Collection;
several rare children's books; and
Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia published in London in 1787 which has been called "one of American's first permanent literary and intellectual landmarks.