In 1979, Special Collection acquired the Tage la Cour library of popular fiction. This library is made up of detective novels, western novels, science fiction, and other works that are often classified as ‘entertainments.’ The authors represented range from P. G. Wodehouse, Robert Coover, and Arthur Conan Doyle to Agatha Christie, Dashiell Hammett, and Ian Fleming; from Zane Grey, O. Henry, and Mark Twain to Arthur Clarke, Robert Heinlein, and Fredrick Pohl. The collection includes many items that are now quite difficult to obtain, such as Arkham House publications and the early works of Olaf Stapledon. The research potential of this collection should not be underestimated considering the influx of critical attention to popular fiction. Entertainment fiction as a genre is a part of popular culture, and this collection offers a substantial resource to the perceptive student.
In the mid-80s, approximately half of the collection was shifted to the general stacks area, allowing students the opportunity to check out the texts for more accessible reading. The library continues to catalog this collection under the traceable subject heading: Tage la Cour Collection Of Popular Fiction.
–From A Guide to Literary and Related Materials