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Special Collections - Rare Books: Publication Date

Book Rarity Based on Age

A book's rarity due to age ranges from any book published before 1900, especially in the Americas, to those not more than 20 years old. The imprint - the publisher and place and date of publication - helps determine a book's value. Most commonly, the later the place of publication was settled and the earlier the date of publication, the more valuable the book.

Browse the navigation on the left to see a sampling of books that Special Collections has to offer, each rare based on their age and imprint.