[OPLINLIST] Kent State Library School Receives Collection of 21,000 Children’s Picturebooks

[Rhonda Filipan]

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*For Immediate Release                                 Contact: Ruth Smith*

*January 5, 
2007**                                                              
Public Relations Coordinator*

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    330-672-0003*

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    rsmith9 at kent.edu*

 

*_Kent State University School of Library and Information Science 
Receives Collection of 21,000 Children’s Picturebooks _*

 

(Kent, OH) --- The great names in children’s picturebooks, including Dr. 
Seuss, Maurice Sendak, Robert McCloskey and H.A. Rey will soon have 
another place to call home, along with thousands of other picture books 
from the last 50 years.

Kent State University’s School of Library and Information Science has 
acquired the Marantz Collection, a unique compilation of over 21,000 
children’s picturebooks chronicling the rich artistic and literary 
tradition of modern storytelling for young people. Cataloged by artist 
or illustrator rather than by author, this collection and cataloging 
style reflect the view that picturebooks can be studied and valued as 
art objects as well as literary works.

            Housed in the Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) since 
its donation by the Marantzes in 2000, the collection grew by thousands 
of volumes.  In the interest of ensuring a robust and permanent future 
for the assortment of picture books, CCAD contacted Kent State 
University School of Library and Information Science to pursue permanent 
transfer of the distinctive collection* *by fall of 2007.

The School of Library and Information Science will renovate a 1600 
square-foot space for this collection provided by the University 
Libraries as an expansion of the Reinberger Children’s Library Center. 
Easy access to the books and seminar space for students to study, 
discuss and peruse the wealth of art and literature inherent in this 
collection will be incorporated into the overall design plan.

For more than 40 years, professional educators Dr. Kenneth and Sylvia 
Marantz have studied, reviewed and collected picturebooks resulting in 
this one-of-a-kind collection. Dr. Marantz, professor emeritus of art 
education at The Ohio State University, and Mrs. Marantz, a school 
librarian, are both book reviewers and authors, and have co-authored 
eight reference works on the picturebook.  The Marantz’s have given 
numerous lectures and written thousands of reviews on the picturebook as 
an art form.

The School of Library and Information Science will also house the 
Marantz’s private collection of publicity posters, artist/illustrator 
correspondence and related character toys.

“The Marantz collection will be a major asset to our program,” says 
Carolyn Brodie, professor in the School of Library and Information 
Science and a nationally recognized expert in children’s literature and 
library services. “Our plans to house this collection as an expansion to 
the Reinberger Children’s Library Center will give us greater resources 
to provide outstanding training to students studying children’s 
literature librarianship.”

Richard Rubin, director of the school, sees the acquisition of this 
collection as a way to encourage interdisciplinary study among schools 
and colleges.

“Art students, literature majors and scholars studying the history of 
modern illustration and publishing will find a wealth of research 
material within this collection,” says Rubin. “We view this as a jewel 
for our own school, and as an outstanding resource for the whole 
university and a resource for children’s literature scholars from around 
the world.”

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Rhonda S. Filipan, M.A., M.L.S.
Academic Program Coordinator
Kent State University
School of Library and Information Science
P.O. Box 5190
Library 314
Kent, OH  44242-0001
330-672-0013  (phone)
330-672-7965  (fax)
http://www.slis.kent.edu