Our Growing Collections

ROLAND BAUGHMAN
 

Adimari gift. iMr. Ralph Adimari of Mount Y'ernon, New York,
knowing of Columbia's "Brander Matthews Collection," has gen¬
erously presented a letter which Professor Matthews wrote to him
on October 9, 1920.

Austrian Ministry of Education gift. Columbia University Libraries
were among 47 such institutions which have received sets of mod¬
ern Austrian publications as the official gift of the Ministry of
Education of Austria. In a ceremony at the Overseas Press Club
on October 17, a collection of 198 volumes, chiefly in the fields
of Austrian history, art and literature, was presented to the repre¬
sentative of each of three university libraries in Ne\\' Y'ork City,
including Columbia. The Cultural Attache in making the presenta¬
tion stressed Austria's appreciation for the material, academic and
spiritual assistance which American libraries had given to Austrian
libraries immediately following World \A'ar II, and for the co¬
operation that has been maintained ever since.

Backus gift. Mrs. Louise Laidlaw Backus (.<\.b., 1929 b) has pre¬
sented a remarkable collection of more than 2,000 volumes, chiefly
American poetry published in the period between the two World
Wars. The collection was originally formed by Miss Anita Browne,
who has been connected with fostering and publishing American
poetry for many years. It is rich in regional poetry anthologies,
private printings, and productions of obscure, "avant-garde"
presses; and with few exceptions the items are first editions and
in fine condition. Many of them bear autograph presentation in¬
scriptions from their authors to Miss Brow ne or to other recipients.

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