de Grummond Children's Literature Collection

10/14/2026

The Ezra Jack Keats collection has grown! With 18 cubic feet of new materials, Keats’ papers now span more than 237 boxes and 96 cubic feet, making it one of our largest collections.

The additions include projects supported by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation’s mini-grants, children’s work inspired by Keats, photographs of young Ezra and his family, and a wealth of sketches, color separations and other artwork by Keats.

We’re excited to share these new materials and the stories they hold!

10/13/2026

Ready to join us March 3-5 in Hattiesburg? Registration for the festival is now open, along with breakout session proposals.

If you're ready to request that PTO time, go ahead and register to lock in an early bird rate!

Got an idea to share? We'd love to hear your breakout session proposal. Programming ideas, student engagement strategies, or community outreach--we want to see it all!

https://www.usm.edu/childrens-book-festival/

Questions about anything? Email [email protected]!

09/29/2026

In 1966, Lena de Grummond began building a children’s literature collection at Southern Miss by writing to authors and illustrators and asking them to share their work. Sixty years later, the collection is a leading resource for studying the stories, art and people behind children’s books. It now holds more than 1,400 collections of original papers and about 250,000 books and is one of North America's leading research centers in the field of children's literature.

Thank you to Sherry Lucas and Mississippi Today for sharing the de Grummond Collection's story.

Lena de Grummond (1900-1987) started the collection in 1966 after capping a career in library science in her native Louisiana with 15 years as the state supervisor of school libraries for the…

09/16/2026

Today, we’re celebrating 85 years of curiosity, adventure and a little bit of mischief!

Since making his debut in 1941, Curious George has delighted generations of readers with his playful spirit and memorable adventures.

Here at the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, George holds a special place in our hearts—and in our collections. We’re proud to preserve the original artwork, manuscripts, correspondence and other materials in the H.A. and Margret Rey Papers that tell the story behind George and his creators.

Happy 85th birthday, George! 🎈🎉

09/08/2026

The de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection is accepting applications for two research fellowship opportunities: the Syd Hoff Research Fellowship and the Ezra Jack Keats | Janina Domanska Research Fellowship.

Both fellowships support scholars conducting research using the rich primary source materials held in the de Grummond Collection, providing an opportunity to explore original manuscripts, illustrations, correspondence, and other materials related to children’s literature.

Learn more about each fellowship, eligibility, and how to apply :
Keats | Domanska: www.degrummond.org/fellowships
Syd Hoff: www.degrummond.org/syd-hoff-fellowship

09/02/2026

A chance encounter with H.A. Rey more than 50 years ago has added a new chapter to the story of Curious George — and to the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection.

In 1969, six-year-old Carol Greenhouse met Rey while vacationing with her family in Florida. That meeting began years of correspondence between her family and H.A. and Margret Rey, including letters featuring Rey’s hand-drawn Curious George doodles. Those letters, along with a personally inscribed and illustrated copy of Curious George, have now joined the Rey materials housed in the de Grummond Collection at Southern Miss.

Read more about the story from Seven Days: https://bit.ly/4xvSGQh

08/27/2026

Our awesome assistant curator, Ashlynn, represented the Southern Miss Student Archivists this week at an LSI Involvement Fair Day! She's not only a great representative for de Grummond, but a wonderful ambassador for the archives profession. We’re so lucky to have her sharing her enthusiasm for archives and inspiring the next generation of archivists! 💛🖤

07/28/2026

In April 1970, Dr. Lena Y. de Grummond traveled to Sussex, England, to personally present The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Medallion to renowned Winnie-the-Pooh illustrator E. H. Shepard, who was unable to attend the Children’s Book Festival due to his age and health. This month’s item of the month is a photograph capturing this memorable moment in children’s literature history and reflection Dr. de Grummond’s dedication to building the collection.

Also during the 1970 festival, USM head librarian Dr. Warren G. Tracy announced that the new children’s collection would be named for de Grummond, honoring her role in founding the collection, building relationships with authors and illustrators, and helping establish the festival and medallion.

This photograph is part of the de Grummond photograph collection. Read more about this item here: https://lib.usm.edu/spcol/exhibitions/item_of_the_month/iotm_july_2026.html

07/24/2026

Earlier this year, Sarah Simpson, a graduate student at The Ohio State University, reached out looking for hands-on museum experience to support her goal of becoming a curator or collections manager specializing in children's literature. Together, we explored ways she could contribute remotely and landed on the perfect project.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Ezra Jack Keats Award, Sarah curated a new digital exhibit using recently acquired materials from the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. After selecting items from a list of processed materials, Sarah worked with Ashlynn, de Grummond's assistant curator, who coordinated the digitization effort with Austin Slade, manager of the Digitization Lab. Sarah then transformed the digitized materials into a thoughtful online exhibit.

We're grateful for Sarah's outstanding work and excited to share this new look at the history and legacy of the Ezra Jack Keats Award.

What stands out about Ezra Jack Keats the most through his interviews, appearances, and work is his strong admiration and respect for the young reader. Perhaps his own emotionally distant childhood inspired his ambition to preserve and document the tranquility and tenderness of loving families. Keat...

06/08/2026

We're excited to see Curious George, the beloved character created by Margret and H.A. Rey, come to life on stage at Southern Miss!

Check out the details below and get your tickets for this musical adventure June 19–21.