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The Book Arts Collection is both a major collection of examples of fine printing and book illustration, and a collection of books about various phases of bookmaking and related subjects. Book Arts was established in 1938, currently contains over 15,000 volumes and growing. The older part of the collection is shelved in Dewey classification. In 1975, we switched to a slightly-modified Library of Congress classification. Both Dewey and Library of Congress sets include BOOKART prefix). Additional cross-collection card catalogs of designers (654: 25A) illustrators (654: 25B-I) imprints (654 Mez: 62A-F), bindings (654: 24I-J, 654 Mez: 52C, 13V:1D) and presses (654: 26A-27H) are no longer maintained, but could still be useful.

The Graphic Arts collection contains over 20,000 books on the history of printing and publishing, and related topics such as illustrative techniques, bookbinding, calligraphy, and book collecting. It thus overlaps significantly with the Book Arts Collection, though the books tend to be newer (post-1850). Created in the 1950s within the Library Service Library to serve the needs of library school students learning about the history of the book, the collection was transferred to RBML in 1991 when the library school was closed. The books, classed in the Library of Congress system, are found in CLIO.

These files have been compiled by the Rare Book and Manuscript Library from its origin in 1930 through the present day. The material derives largely from gifts, and the occasional purchase; much of the subject file in particular is made of ephemera included in the American Type Founders, Co. Library, purchased in 1942. Prospectuses and information sent by fine presses and book artists are added to the relevant files in an ongoing fashion. The files cover subjects from the beginning of printing to the current day.

The School of the Arts Records consists of administrative files from several offices within the School. The files span from the creation of the Department of Fine Arts through the mid-1990s and document the day to day maintenance of the School as well as the large scale vision held by faculty and administration. General administrative files such as financial records, meeting minutes, proposals, reports, and correspondence comprise the bulk of the collection. Correspondence from Dean Davidson Taylor and Associate Dean Grafton Nunes is well represented. Records from the Translation Center tend to focus on individual issues, but there are also files concerning fundraising, publicity, and the many awards granted on a yearly basis.

Most of the materials are related to a particular book project: drafts, proofs, edits, fouls, markups, correspondence, etc. Note that most projects include both regular size and oversize materials.

Posters, catalogs, book covers, printed materials and ephemera related to the AIGA book collection (winners of the American Institute of Graphic Artists awards known as "The Fifty Books of the Year" from 1923 to the present)

This collection of about 80 items relates to the founding and activities of the society and includes a printed constitution of the organizational list of charter members, some miscellaneous notes and memoranda, and a group of letter from various people addressed principally to Charles A. Joy. The letters deal mostly with attendance at meetings.

A collection of letters addressed to Russell Potter, Director of the Institute of Arts & Sciences, relating to speaking engagerents and conferences. The correspondence, dated 1930-1945, includes letters from Gertrude Stein, Robert Frost, Edna Ferber, Al Smith, Henry Wallace, Anthony Eden, and Harold Laski. Some of the letters are of a personal nature.