Special Collections and Rare Books at SFU Library - Friends of Special Collections

Friends of the SFU Library help to promote the library's welfare and growth to benefit SFU students and faculty, as well as all scholars and interested individuals. Everyone who donates to SFU Library is welcomed as a Friend.

Friends receive a tax receipt for every donation, as well as the Friends' Newsletter, invitations to special events and opportunities to purchase SFU Library memorabilia. However, SFU Library Friends say that the main benefit they derive from their donation is the knowledge that they are helping the Library to grow and to better serve the scholarly community.

Annual Lectures and Events
Friends of Special Collections Board

Annual Lectures and Events

Since 1994, our Friends have enjoyed stimulating and informative events such as our annual lecture and in the process have helped to build SFU Library.

Annual Lectures

2007 - Reidfest: An Evening to Celebrate Robert Reid --- His Typography, Graphic Design, Letterpress Printing
Speakers: Charles Mayrs, Peter McNally, Rollin Milroy, Takao Tanabe

2006 - Rimmerfest: An Evening to Celebrate Jim Rimmer and His Many Achievements
Speakers: Robert Bringhurst, Dick Kouwenhoven, Charles van Sandwyk, Denise Carson Wilde

2005 - Sue Allen
The Brilliance of Cloth Book Covers: Decorated Publishers' bindings in America, 1830-1910

2004 - Celebrating 25 Years of Barbarian Press: An Evening with Jan and Crispin Elsted
Speakers: David Bond, Robert Bringhurst, Celia Duthie, Scott McIntyre

2003 – Timothy Barrett
Japanese Papermaking and the Aesthetics of Paper

2002 – Chalk Talk: The World of the Political Cartoonist
A celebratory event for Simon Fraser University's donors.

2001 – Jan and Crispin Elsted
Utile Dulci: Twenty-five years at Barbarian Press.

2000 – Leslie A. Morris.
Curator of Manuscripts, Harvard College Library.

1999 – Michael Wilcox.
Bookbinder.

1998 – Robert Bringhurst.
Internationally renowned expert on typographic style.

1997 – Martin Lowry.
World's foremost expert on Aldus Manutius.

1996 – Marino Zorzi.
Director of the Bibliotheca Marciana, Venice's Library.

1995 – Phillip Smith.
England's most outstanding bookbinder of the 20th century.

1994 – Claire van Vliet.
One of the world's foremost book artists is also an expert in bookbinding structures.

Other Events

2005 - April 21: Walter Bachinski and Janis Butler spoke on"The Origin and Evolution of the Shanty Bay Press".

Friends of the Library co-sponsor a number of events with the Alcuin Society of Vancouver.

2002 - April 11: Librarian as custodian or executioner? Balancing preservation and dissemination.

1997 – May 9th: Courtland Benson On Binding the Aldine Collection.

1997 – April 8: Archival obsessions: the papers of Malcolm Lowry

1997 – April 5: Aldus: Barbarity and the destructive force of indifference

Friends of Special Collections Board

For more information:

Eric L. Swanick, Head/Gifts Librarian
Special Collections and Rare Books
WAC Bennett Library - Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6

Phone: 778.782.4626
Email: eswanick@sfu.ca