Signed political books donated to the ANU Library

07 Sep 2020

The ANU Library has received 220 books on major American and British political figures, all containing signatures and/or signed photographs.

These books were kindly donated to the library by Colin Steele, former University Librarian and Emeritus Fellow.

Items from the British political collection includes works about or by many Prime Ministers and leading Cabinet figures from Wellington through nineteenth century Prime Ministers, such as Gladstone and Salisbury; the twentieth century, such as Lloyd George, Asquith, Balfour, Chamberlain, Attlee, Macmillan, Wilson and Margaret Thatcher, through to Tony Blair and David Cameron.

The American political collection begins with Eleanor Roosevelt and then covers figures from the Kennedy era; the Watergate scandal, including Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger; the Carters, Reagans and Bushes; Bill and Hillary Clinton and Monica Lewinski; ending with Joe Biden and Donald Trump with a signed copy of his book Surviving at the Top.

University Librarian Roxanne Missingham said ANU was pleased to receive these special books.

“We are working hard to rebuild our collection following the 2018 flood, and part of that is acquiring new and replacement items on the subjects of history and politics,” she said.

“These books are a wonderful addition to our politics collection. We thank Colin Steele for his generosity and ongoing support.”

This donation was facilitated through the Australian Government Cultural Donations program.

The books will be added to the Library’s Rare Book Collection in the RG Menzies Library.

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