The LeBlanc Collection, acquired by the NIU Libraries in 1998, is comprised of over 700 different novels, and novelettes ranging in date from ca. 1850-1925. Titles such as Aldine Half Holiday Library, Boys of the Empire, Dick Turpin, Gem Library, Happy Days, Lovell's Library, New York Ledger, Oliver Optic's Magazine, Pluck and Luck, Rocket, Seaside Library, Secret Service, Wide Awake Library, Yank, Young Britain, and Young Glory are well represented in this collection, many with fairly complete runs.
This collection complements the Horatio Alger, American Popular Literature, Albert Johannsen, Merriwell, and Edward Stratemeyer Collections. Although this collection is not yet fully cataloged, some of the series listed in our finding aid have already been added to our Online Catalog.
Research in this collection is eligible for financial support through the annual Horatio Alger Fellowship for the Study of American Popular Culture.