11 (Extra) Special Collections in University Libraries

University libraries are sometimes the beneficiary of someone’s collect works, or collected obsessions. After all, when a relative doesn’t have use for 400-year-old glass eyeballs, wouldn’t the local college take them? Mental_floss takes a look at eleven such strange “special collections” you can read or see at our institutions of higher learning.

Yearning to learn more about your kidneys? Head to the University of North Carolina’s Carl W. Gottschalk Collection. The 12,400-item collection houses legendary medical professor Gottschalk’s passion: historical items related to the study of kidneys. Gottschalk’s medical research focused on the kidneys, and throughout his life he managed to collect texts, engravings, woodcuts, and other relics on the subject that dated back to the 16th century.

Shown is Dr. Gottschalk’s kidney-shaped desk. Other collections focus on bloodletting, witchcraft, puppets, and more. Link