Friends of UNL Libraries' goal: 'Save Our Treasures'

The sheepskin cover of a rare 1617 edition of Virgil's "Aeneid" has become detached. A 15th-century illuminated manuscript has water damage. A first edition of the diary of Corps of Discovery member Patrick Gass is showing signs of age.

Those are some of the treasures in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries Archives and Special Collections that are in need of some TLC. And thanks to an ongoing campaign by the Friends of the Libraries titled "Saving Our Treasures," university officials hope they will get the needed attention soon.

The campaign kicked off in June and is more than halfway to its goal to raise $25,000 for preservation of items that are in dire need of repair. The condition of some of the materials sometimes prohibits their use by students and scholars.

"This kind of campaign draws out the people who love the UNL Libraries and books, and who understand that a strong research collection will support the students of UNL," campaign chair Ross McCown said.

Some of the major items on the campaign's list: * The illuminated manuscript, "Bellum Jurgurthinum," was the first manuscript ever purchased by the university. Professor Grove E. Barber, who taught at Nebraska from 1882 to 1923, bought it in Europe in 1889. The book itself is by Sallust, a first-century B.C. Roman historian who served with Julius Caesar and was one of the first historians to write historical monographs of limited events and periods with a great deal of in-depth description. The volume needs to be treated to remove stains and adhered tissue paper. * A handwritten manuscript of Lord Byron's "Don Juan" is basically in pieces. The cover and text block need to be reattached and the spine reconstructed. * Gass' diary needs to be cleaned and its spine needs small repairs. * "Life of Christ and the Popes," printed by Anton Koberger of Nuremberg, Germany, in 1481 needs to have its binding reattached and cleaned throughout. * Old photographs, including one of the dedication of Memorial Stadium in 1923, need restoration. * Hand-drawn maps by native Nebraskan Mari Sandoz need cleaning and preservation measures. * A 1729 edition of Alexander Pope's "The Dunciad" has a detached cover and some torn pages. * "The British herbal: an History of Plants and Trees, Natives Britain, Cultivated for Use, or Raised for Beauty," printed in 1756, has hand-painted pictures of plants and flowers and is in need of cleaning.

"This campaign is about more than preservation of special materials," said Joan Giesecke, dean of libraries. "It is also about supporting the long-term direction of a research library. Our Friends make a difference and provide the UNL Libraries with invaluable support."

For more information about the campaign, contact Joan Barnes, development/outreach librarian, at (402) 472-6987 or jbarnes3@unl.edu.

CONTACT: Joan Barnes, Development/Outreach Librarian, University Libraries, (402) 472-6987