Just the other day, Texas A&M University acquired the five millionth book for its library collection. The book in question — donated by George R. R. Martin –was a rare, first-edition copy of The Hobbit.
Texas A&M University Libraries today acquired its five millionth volume, a rare first-edition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 classic The Hobbit—a gift from award-winning sci-fi/fantasy author George R.R. Martin, creator of the best-selling book series “Game of Thrones.”
“Over the last two decades the A&M Libraries has become one of the top 10 publicly-supported research libraries in this country [Association of Research Libraries (ARL) ranking] and this five millionth volume symbolizes that maturity as well as the depth our collections,” says David Carlson, dean of University Libraries.
Only 1,500 published first-editions of The Hobbit exist. The volume features a striking dust jacket complete with the publisher’s hand-corrected spelling error on the inside flap. The first-edition will be shelved in Cushing alongside an array of later editions including the first American edition (1938) and the second British edition (1951).
The Tolkien volume was funded by and presented to the university at a ceremony in Rudder Auditorium by Martin, whose “Game of Thrones” book series is the basis for a hit HBO show.
The volume of The Hobbit was donated to the Cushing Memorial Library and Archives’ Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Collection, one of the largest of its kind in the world, which houses Martin’s personal collection of manuscripts, books and associated memorabilia.