Children's Education and Literature Collections

This collection began with donations from local librarians, Louise Singley and Eunice LeFevre. Both were active members of The Friends of the Libraries at Western Michigan University. Miss Singley was a children's librarian at the Kalamazoo Public Library for 28 years. During her time there, she became known as "The Story Book Lady." Eunice LeFevre also enjoyed books for children. She donated many historical educational books for children because of the insight they can bring to the development of young minds and the changing perception of childhood.

Later significant donations to this collection include Peter Rabbit books and other children's books donated by M.A. Haynes-Johnson, WMU Professor Emerita of English, and the J. Whirler and the Jean "Sam" Tyler pop-up and movable books collections. More recently, a number of important textbooks used in instruction at the Western State Normal School have been added to the collection.