The north gallery at The Kenneth Spencer Research Library. Some of the unique items at the Spencer Research Library collection include this illuminated manuscript from the mid-15th century.

Rick McNabb is pictured in February 2023 at the Kenneth Spencer Research Library on the University of Kansas campus. Sometimes a letter can make a reader gasp even a century after it is sent.

Two gray boxes filled with about 50 manila folders sat on a red cart in Lawrence’s Kenneth Spencer Research Library. Inside: a glimpse into the colorful life of Tom Woodson Poor — “The ...