Rare Books at Harvard

Book lovers might enjoy this video of some of Harvard University's rare books holdings.

"A Book" by Hannah More

A Book

I'm a strange contradiction; I'm new, and I'm old,
I'm often in tatters, and oft decked with gold,
Though I never could read, yet lettered I'm found;
Though blind, I enlighten; though loose, I am bound,
I'm always in black, and I'm always in white
I'm grave and I'm gay, I am heavy and light --
In form too I differ, -- I'm thick and I'm thin
I've no flesh and no bones, yet I'm covered with skin;
I've more points than the compass, more stops than the flute;
I sing without voice, without speaking confute.
I'm English, I'm German, I'm French, and I'm Dutch.
Some love me too fondly, some slight me too much;
I often die soon, though I sometimes live ages,
And no monarch alive has so many pages.

By Hannah More

This is a page turner

Readers who would like to combine the pleasure of reading a traditional, beautifully illustrated book with the experience of using a cool online site might want to check out the Library of Congress's page turner website, which contains a handful of classic stories including The Arabian Nights and The Secret Garden.

Though the site mainly contains books of interest for younger readers, there are some that might appeal to those who are only young at heart. These include Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Poe's The Raven.

The cool technical part of all this is that the format is booklike--readers can turn pages back and forth. One can also adjust the size of the page.