Unpacking the Archive: Value, Pricing, and the Letter-Writing Campaign of Dr. Lena Y. de Grummond

Abstract

The children’s literature collection is celebrated for the literary treasures that it holds, yet scholars have paid little attention to the collection itself as an object of study. This article provides a case study of the University of Southern Mississippi’s de Grummond Collection of Children’s Literature. Drawing upon the early correspondence (1960s–70s) of Dr. Lena de Grummond with its contributors, the author demonstrates how economic factors affect the children’s literature collection’s ability to function as a site of value production.