Association copies are books owned at one point by someone associated with the work. These books could be an author’s copy of their own work, a copy presented to whomever the book was dedicated, a work owned by a person essential to the book’s creation (publisher, illustrator, literary agent), a copy owned by a direct connection with a book’s content (subject of a biography or person who inspired a fictional character), or even a copy belonging to an individual close to the author. Various types of association copies are presented in this case.

• Famous Negro Heroes of America / Langston Hughes. Though he isn’t featured in the book, Langston Hughes’ inscription (written days after the riot) places James Meredith on the shoulders of giants for his role integrating the University of Mississippi in 1962.
• To Seek a Newer World / Robert F. Kennedy. Senator Kennedy’s inscription to Senator James O. Eastland gives some insights into personal relations between those on opposite ends of the political spectrum.
• Riot / Gwendolyn Brooks and In Love & Trouble: Stories of Black Women / Alice Walker. Blues poet Sterling Plumpp’s collection contains a number of signed copies of other influential black writers with whom he was associated, including these by Brooks and Walker.
• How to Play the 5-String Banjo / Pete Seeger. Several signed Pete Seeger materials were in the collection of folklorist Kenneth Goldstein. Goldstein promoted Seeger and wrote liner notes for some of his early albums.
• Scarlet Sister Mary / Julia Peterkin and Gone with the Wind / Margaret Mitchell. The collection of literary agent, editor, and critic Herschel Brickell contains a number of association copies. His New York Evening Post review of Gone with the Wind was one of the early positive reviews of the book.
• Boomerang / Barry Hannah. This copy is inscribed to his publisher “Sam” (Seymour Lawrence).
• Bats Out of Hell / Barry Hannah. This copy was inscribed to former Chancellor Robert Khayat when Hannah served as the University of Mississippi’s writer-in-residence.

Association copies aren’t necessarily tied in with authorship or production of a book. The copy of A Greek-English Lexicon on display is really only of interest to this institution, as the volume belonged to the first student to graduate from The University of Mississippi (note the “No. 1” at the top of his diploma).