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Collection is open to research

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Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Florida State University Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Processed by Charles Danner in November 2007.

Ars Poetica, Special Collections, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida

Ars Poetica was an irregularly published pamphlet dealing with the Shaw Collection. Dr. John Mackay Shaw was the curator and creator of the collection. In 1960, Shaw donated more than 5,000 books dealing with poetry and childhood to Florida State University (FSU). The donation was secured on the condition that Shaw be allowed to accompany the collection, to maintain, and add to it, and provide bibliographic information.

Over the next 20 years Shaw cared for the collection, and helped it grow to over 20,000 volumes. In 1972, FSU conferred upon Shaw an Honorary Doctorate in Humane letters in recognition of his years of service. Shaw then went on to write a bibliography of the collection, tallying more than 10,000 books and 100,000 poems.

The Ars Poetica was first published in October of 1978. The contents included news about the collection being used in displays, information about speakers on poetry, and various anecdotes about the collection's users. Ars Poetica also included a section highlighting recent acquisitions. The 1984 Spring-Summer issue was the first one published after Shaw's death. After this issue, the collection contain's one more copy, but it consists solely of a list of acquisitions.

This collection consists of copies of the Ars Poetica pamphlet with information pertaining to the Shaw collection. Subjects of the newsletters include recent acquisitions to the collection, humorous happenings, news related to poetry, and poetry by the author.