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The Collection

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In April 1999 former Governor and Mrs. Andersen donated their collection of 12,500 books to the University of Minnesota Libraries. The collection—called "voluminous" by the Star Tribune and "extraordinary" by a local rare-book dealer—includes brilliantly-printed limited editions, small-run private printings, and exceptional volumes from the presses of Midwest publishers and printers. The collection is wide-ranging, both in terms of authors and subjects, and includes some of the best illustrators, printers, and binders in the book world.

The collection represents a book collecting passion that began during the Great Depression and continued throughout Governor Andersen's lifetime. During an interview, this archetypal friend of the University Libraries said that he "bought books to read and reread, to quote and refer to. He bought them to encourage small presses and struggling authors, because buying good books, he said, is the only way to ensure that more good books are written. And he bought them because he loved to sit in his library, look up at a title and recognize a friend."

Many of the books deal with the state and people of Minnesota. "For us," the Andersens noted in 1992, "Minnesota remains a fascinating field for study, reading and book collecting. At time we have expressed it in talks on 'Adventures in Minnesota History' — adventures in friendship and understanding…and an important factor in our rewarding life experiences."

Since the original donation, the Andersens have continued to build the collection with additional gifts and purchases, bringing the collection to nearly 16,000 volumes. Many of these gifts have strengthened other collections in the University Libraries as well, including the Givens Collection of African American Literature, the Tretter Collection of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies, and the Rare Art Book Collection.