The Rare Book collection of Special Collections includes over 20,000 volumes. The collection is particularly strong in Virginia local histories with an emphasis on the western half of the state. There is a large collection of family histories and genealogical studies with a focus on the Rockbridge County area. There are numerous volumes on Robert E. Lee, George Washington, "Stonewall" Jackson and other prominent historical figures who have been connected with Washington and Lee University and the local area. There is a large collection of volumes from the library of the Franklin Society, a nineteenth century literary and debating society in Lexington. There is a collection of volumes surviving from the library of Liberty Hall Academy, an eighteenth century incarnation of Washington and Lee. There are many works collected for their historical, bibliographical or artistic value with the oldest volume in the collection dating to 1488. The Shenandoah Valley is a focus with works by Valley authors and from Valley presses included. The Rare Book collection is cataloged on "Annie," the Leyburn Library's online catalog.