Amherst College Library Records
Scope and Contents
The Library Records document the development of the Amherst College Library. The bulk of the records date between 1876 and 1933, but span the years 1833 to 1977. The quantity totals 12.5 linear feet. Despite the time span, the records provide incomplete information about the administration of the Library. The records best document the library holdings (1833-1938), and particular functions, such as classification. The Records include correspondence, accession logs, annual reports, in-house manuals and procedures statements, some financial records, printed catalogs, and shelf lists. The administrative files of Librarian Newton F. McKeon (1939-70), Charles Laugher (1970-75), and Willis E. Bridegam, Jr. (1975- ) are not part of this collection.
Dates
- 1833-1977
- Majority of material found within 1876-1933
Creator
- Amherst College. Library (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
There is no restriction on access to the Amherst College Library Records for research use. Particularly fragile items are restricted for preservation purposes.
Conditions Governing Use
Requests for permission to publish material from the Papers should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Biographical / Historical
- 1821-1823
- Joseph Estabrook, Professor Latin and Greek, Librarian
- 1821
- Alexandrian and Athenian Societies, student literary societies, established; society libraries soon follow
- 1822
- Library located in North College, 4th floor room
- 1823-1824
- Zenas Clapp, Tutor and Librarian
- 1824-1827
- Samuel M. Worcester, Professor and Librarian
- 1827
- First library catalog published
- 1827-1853
- Library located in Johnson Chapel, 3rd floor
- 1827-1852
- Ebenezer Snell (AC 1822), Professor and Librarian
- 1831
- Substantial increase to the Library because of John Tappan gift of $500
- 1836
- Athenian Society publishes catalog
- 1844
- Sears Fund of Literature and Benevolence established
- 1850
- Library holdings are approximately 6,000 volumes
- 1851-1965
- Memorabilia Room established
- 1852-1863
- Lucius Boltwood (AC 1843) named first full-time Librarian
- 1853
- New building opens, houses library; later named Morgan Hall
- 1855
- Library holdings are approximately 12,000 volumes; Second library catalog published; second Athenian Society catalog also published
- 1863
- Julius H. Seelye, Teacher and Librarian (without pay)
- 1864-1878
- William Montague (AC 1855), Librarian, Registrar, and Professor of French, Italian, and Spanish
- 1864
- First alphabetical author card catalog
- 1867
- Merger of Athenian, Alexandrian, and College libraries discussed
- 1871
- Supplement to library catalog published; open hours change from 3 hours/week to 6 hours/day except closed Sunday
- 1874-1876
- Melvil Dewey (AC 1874) Assistant Librarian, starts subject catalog on cards
- 1878
- Thomas P. Field, (AC 1834) Librarian
- 1879-1883
- Walter Biscoe, (AC 1874) Acting Librarian
- 1883
- Library expands; building named for Henry T. Morgan
- 1883-1911
- William I. Fletcher, Librarian
- 1885
- Library holdings are approximately 43,000 volumes
- 1891-1905
- William I. Fletcher runs Summer course in Library Economy
- 1908
- Robert S. Fletcher (AC 1897, son of W.I. Fletcher) named Assistant Librarian
- 1911-1939
- Robert S. Fletcher, Librarian
- 1917
- Converse Memorial Library opens
- 1935-1939
- Henry deForest Smith, Library Director; Robert S. Fletcher on medical leave
- 1938
- Addition built on Converse Memorial Library; First rare book room established in Converse addition (
- 1939-1970
- Newton F. McKeon (AC 1926), Library Director
- 1951-1978
- Hampshire Inter-Library Center (HILC) established (initially Amherst, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges, later Hampshire College) to provide cooperation among the libraries
- 1964-1965
- Charles T. Laugher, Assistant Library Director
- 1965
- Robert Frost Library opens; Friends of the Amherst College Library founded; Memorabilia Room moves from the Hitchcock Room in Morgan Hall to the Frost Library and renamed the College Archives
- 1965-1970
- Charles T. Laugher, Associate Library Director
- 1968
- Merrill Science Library opens; Music Library opens
- 1970-1974
- Richard J. Cody, Librarian of the College
- 1970-1975
- Charles T. Laugher, Library Director
- 1971
- Audio-Visual Department established in Frost Library
- 1974
- Library joins OCLC for cataloging purposes (substituted Library of Congress classification system for Dewey Decimal Classification System)
- 1975-
- Willis Bridegam, Librarian of the College
- 1978
- College Archives given mandate by Board of Trustees
- 1980
- House libraries discontinued
- 1986
- Frost C-level opens (compact shelving installed 1985; Deweys moved to C-level 1986)
- 1988
- First Five College on-line catalog system (LS/2000) installed (provides access to holdings at the University of Massachusetts and Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges, as well as Amherst)
- 1994
- Second Five College automated library system (III) installed
- 1994
- Amherst College Depository opens
Extent
14.5 Linear feet (10 records storage boxes, 1 half archives box, 18 volumes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Library Records document the development of the Amherst College Library. Despite the time span (1833-1977), the records provide incomplete information about the administration of the Library. The records best document the library holdings (1833-1938), and particular functions, such as classification. The Records include correspondence, accession logs, annual reports, in-house manuals and procedures statements, some financial records, printed catalogs, and shelf lists. The administrative files of Librarian Newton F. McKeon (1939-1970), Charles Laugher (1970-1975), and Willis E. Bridegam, Jr. (1975- ) are not part of this collection.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into sixteen series:
- Series 1: Administrative Records, 1849-1937
- Series 2: Annual and Summary Reports, 1873-1969
- Series 3: Bibliographic Instruction, 1897-1969
- Series 4: Circulation, 1908-1956
- Series 5: Classification, 1873-1970
- Series 6: Committees, 1829-1939
- Series 7: Dormitory Libraries, 1934-1970 (bulk 1934-1953)
- Series 8: Financial Records, 1853-1936
- Series 9: Five College Cooperation, 1914-1977
- Series 10: Gifts, 1851-1933
- Series 11: Holdings, 1833-1972
- Series 12: Procedures Manuals, 1917-1956
- Series 13: Serials and Binding, 1884-1949
- Series 14: Reserve Reading Lists, 1938-1961
- Series 15: Research and Instruction, 1974-2014
- Series 16: Addendum, 1910-1968
Processing Information
As part of the College Archives ongoing efforts to arrange and describe all holdings, the scattered Library Records were centralized during September, 1992. There was little documentation indicating how the materials came into the Archives and little evidence of their original order. As part of processing, records that were created for a similar function were identified and organized together (e.g. serials, bibliographic instruction, classification, etc.). Within each series, suitable arrangement was imposed.
As a part of this project, Library records concerning library operations to 1970 were organized and described. Library records documenting library administration after 1939 were not processed at this time.
Missing Title
- Processed:
- September 1992-July 1993
- By:
- Anne Ostendarp, Project Archivist
Daria D'Arienzo, Archivist of the College
Emily Silverman, University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, Intern
Tanya Chebotarev, Simmons College School of Library Science, Intern - Revised:
- 1994 April
- By:
- Donna Skibel, Archives Associate
- Finding Aid:
- March 2002
- Prepared by:
- Sarah Sorscher '05, Student Assistant
- Edited by:
- Peter Nelson, Assistant Archivist
- Funding:
- The processing of the Amherst College Library Records was supported by the McGoun Fund
- Annual reports Subject Source: Library Of Congress Genre/Form Terms
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Anne Ostendarp
- Date
- 2003
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Repository Details
Part of the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Repository
Amherst College Archives & Special Collections
Robert Frost Library
61 Quadrangle Drive
Amherst MA 01002-5000
(413) 542-2299
archives@amherst.edu