The mission of the Rare Book & Manuscript library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is to preserve and make accessible the collections of one of the greatest rare book and manuscript libraries in the country. The library is a place of inspiration for students and faculty. It is also a cultural center for the region and research destination for national and international communities of scholars. The Rare Book & Manuscript Library believes that, in a great special collections library, ideas should interact with the lengthy tradition of scholarship that preceded them and with the latest theories.