School Alumnus to Speak on Rare Books Collection Donated to Health Sciences Library

The UNC Health Sciences Library (HSL) is hosting a public lecture by school alumnus Sheldon Peck, D.D.S. ’66, on Tuesday, November 13 at 5:30 p.m. His lecture is entitled “The Modern Value of Early Writings in Medicine and Dentistry.”

The lecture will focus on the collection of 163 rare books on orthodontics and early dental medicine which Peck and his wife, Leena, gifted to HSL earlier this year. This collection, named The Sheldon Peck Collection on the History of Orthodontics and Dental Medicine, establishes a world-class collection of rare books that can be easily accessed by scholars, researchers and students. HSL defines the group of donated manuscripts as one of the HSL’s Special Collections, which indicates the materials range in date from the 1500s to present and encompass the history of medical sciences.

“It is such a privilege for our academic community to be the home for this wonderful collection, and I’m so grateful that the Pecks have entrusted us with its safekeeping,” said Carol Jenkins, director of the HSL.

In addition to the physical collection of books, the Pecks also generously donated $100,000 to establish The Sheldon Peck Rare Books Fund for Orthodontics and Dental Medicine. The endowment ensures that HSL will be able to preserve, digitize and grow the collection in the future. HSL’s ability to enhance the collection through the years, as well as its reputation as a resource for UNC medical and dental students, are among the reasons the Pecks chose to establish the collection at HSL.

“UNC people will now be able to experience the thrill of proximity to these masterful old volumes, and that pleases us immensely,” said Peck.

The upcoming lecture will be held in HSL room 527 and is presented by HSL and the Bullitt History of Medicine Club.