Rare Books

The Kinyaa’áanii Library in Tsaile maintains a collection of rare books and manuscripts of Indigenous subject matter that require staff assistance to access. The books in this collection are considered "rare" on the following conditions: 

• Difficult to acquire - Demand for these items exceeds supply. Many of these types of books are not easily found and where they are available their cost is very high. 
• No longer in print - These items had limited printing and a limited number of copies are in existence. These often include items from small presses. 
• Difficulty to maintain - Small press materials are often printed on lower quality paper or were seldom bound. These items required additional expenses to preserve and maintain the structural integrity. 
• Frequently missing/not returned - These items have to be frequently replaced and are often not returned. Desk/reference copies of these materials also often go missing. 
• Old/Fragile - Hard to replace materials that are deteriorating. Requires special handling. 

Accessing Rare Books

Rare Books are identified in EBSCO Discovery Service and in the Catalog, with the following location: Tsaile RARE Books (Indian Room) - Ask for Assistance. Patrons wishing to view rare books need to present their college ID to library staff at the help desk, which will be retained for the duration that the patron is viewing materials. Staff will retrieve materials for the patron. Materials can NOT leave the library. Materials are returned to the help desk and patrons can retrieve their ID.