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Rare Book Collection: Leisure & Recreation – Youth & Reform

Springfield College has an excellent collection of historical sources relating to the evolution of Leisure & Recreation. Examples include over 300 issues of the National Recreation Association Newsletter (1931-1941); rare camping periodicals, like Camping and Hiker (1927-1938), Camping World (1935-1942), and Campfire Chatter (1963-1979); and recreation monographs by location (for instance, California Recreation Commission, Brookline Recreation Commission, etc.).

The development of a Youth audience (Boy Scouts/Boys Clubs) and the reformation of American society by changing the trajectories of young people is also a major focus of the collection. Examples of Youth & Reform material include rare periodicals like the Youth Leaders Digest (1938-1967) and Boys Club Bulletin (1926-1953). This area of the collection also includes approximately 300 U.S. Children’s Bureau pamphlets from the early 20th century that illuminates how the first federal agency within the U.S. Government - and the world - sought to improve the lives of children and families.

Size & Scope: 60 shelves, approximately 2,300 volumes. We collect Leisure & Recreation - Youth & Reform materials relating to the College’s history, curriculum and collections. We do not collect comprehensively and focus on material published before 1960.

Spines of Outing journal

Spines of scouting books

Spines of scouting books