American Veterinary Medical History Society
VETERINARY ARCHIVAL and
RARE BOOK COLLECTIONS in U.S. and Canada
Archival and rare book collections and other resources related to the history of veterinary medicine can be found at a number of institutions across the United States and Canada.
Click underlined links below to consult Catalogs and Find Aids/Guides. Some books may be accessible online.
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Directory of History of Medicine Collections
Compiled by the US National Library of Medicine
Rare and Manuscript Collections (RMC)
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Ithaca, New York
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Includes:
National Society of Phi Zeta records (1970-2000)
Phi Zeta, honor society of veterinary medicine, was established at Cornell University in 1925 with the assistance of Dr. Veranus Alva Moore.
Veterinary Medicine Historical Collection
Stephen O. Murray and Keelung Hong Special Collections Division
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
East Lansing, Michigan
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Includes:
Dr. Fred R. Beaudette Collection of over 150 rare books, incunabula, and manuscripts related to veterinary medicine.
​See: Dean M, Berg P. A rich historical tapestry: Michigan State University Libraries' rare veterinary medicine collection. Vet Herit. 2007 May;36(1):9-11.
Historical Veterinary Research Collection
Medical Sciences Library
TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY
College Station, Texas
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Includes:
Robert Thomson Leiper Helminthological Collection of materials related to helminths and other parasites from the 19th-mid-20th centuries.
John G.P. Woods Collection of "One Health"-related books and artifacts on veterinary medicine, agriculture, medicine, and public health from 16th-20th centuries.
Norman Comben Reference Collection of books from the 16th to 20th centuries.
Niall Kenny Collection of books and artifacts from 17th -19th centuries.
John Clewlow Collection of early English imprints from 16th-19th centuries.
John N. Case, Jr. Veterinary Corps Collection of over 2, 600 items related to military veterinary medicine.
C. Trenton Boyd Historical Veterinary Postcard Collection
John A. Seaverns Equine Collection
Webster Family Library
TUFTS UNIVERSITY
North Grafton, Massachusetts
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Includes:
John A. Seaverns Equine Collection
The John A. Seaverns Equine Collection is comprised of over six thousand books on equine topics dating from 1571 to 1994. Over 1,465 of these books have been digitized and are available online through the Internet Archive.
Division of Special Collections, Archives and Rare Books
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI - COLUMBIA
Columbia, Missouri
Special Collections
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - MADISON
Madison, Wisconsin
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Includes:
Dr. Robert R. Shomer Veterinary Rare Book Collection
This collection of several hundred rare books in veterinary medicine was gifted to Special Collections with the help of Fred J. Born, DVM of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
See: Stalheim OHV. Remembering Robert R. Shomer. Vet Herit. 2000 Nov;23(2):52-53.
U.S. NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL LIBRARY
Beltsville, Maryland
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Includes:
History of Medicine
U.S. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
Bethesda, Maryland
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Includes:
Rare books on horses, digital images, and more.
Smithcors Collection of Veterinary History (Guide)
Manuscripts and Special Collections (MASC)
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
Pullman, Washington
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See: Five Centuries of Veterinary Medicine: A Short-Title Catalog of the Washington State University Veterinary History Collection, compiled by J. F. Smithcors and Ann Smithcors. (1997)