It all started in a high school English class.
Rare books librarian Patrick Olson said he took an interest in rare books after listening to his high school teacher talk about American author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s first novel.
“Hawthorne hated this book so much that he tried to destroy every copy he could find,” said Olson. “I thought of how cool it would be to have a copy of that book.”
From there, Olson started viewing books as artifacts and more than just texts.
Olson joined MSU Libraries in September 2014 and said he has learned a lot about the Special Collections within the Main Library.
“It’s a very strong collection,” Olson said. “We have a great selection of general early printed books and medieval manuscripts, but then we have pockets of deep research value like veterinary medicine, fencing, popular culture and radicalism.”
Olson said there is a book for everyone, which he said is the mark of a good collection and is important for a department that supports all MSU students, faculty, Michigan residents and researchers from around the world.
“I’ve been really pleased with how open MSU is to sharing its books with everyone here from the heavily credentialed senior researchers to the freshman student who comes in because he heard about this place and he or she wants to see something in the collection,” Olson said.
Olson said that managing the rare books collection is everything from deciding which books to add to the collection to working with book conservators to keep the books in a good condition.
Olson said he is interested in filling gaps in core research collections, supporting the curriculum of classes using books within Special Collections and faculty research.
“We’re in the service business,” Olson said. “We’re here to provide our users with materials, so we’re always thinking about what they want or what they might use.”
Olson said the most rewarding part of his job is sharing rare books with students who have never seen anything like the books and may be the oldest item they ever handle.