A Home for SBBG’s Rare Books

Made possible by a $250,000 donation from area philanthropist Sara Miller McCune, the UC Santa Barbara Library will soon take in the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s rare-book collection. Of the more than 750 books, some of the tomes were published as early as the 17th century — the oldest dating back to 1682. Other treasures in the collection include several early-edition books signed by the author, such as John Muir’s The Yosemite. The acquisition will be housed in the library’s new Special Collections facility, which is currently under construction. The Botanic Garden’s environmentally focused books will be available for viewing by the beginning of 2016.