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Amherst College Library Records

 Collection
Identifier: MA.00106

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

  • Creation: 1833-1977
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1876-1933

Creator

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:

  1. Series 1: Administrative Records, 1849-1937
  2. Series 2: Annual and Summary Reports, 1873-1969
  3. Series 3: Bibliographic Instruction, 1897-1969
  4. Series 4: Circulation, 1908-1956
  5. Series 5: Classification, 1873-1970
  6. Series 6: Committees, 1829-1939
  7. Series 7: Dormitory Libraries, 1934-1970 (bulk 1934-1953)
  8. Series 8: Financial Records, 1853-1936
  9. Series 9: Five College Cooperation, 1914-1977
  10. Series 10: Gifts, 1851-1933
  11. Series 11: Holdings, 1833-1972
  12. Series 12: Procedures Manuals, 1917-1956
  13. Series 13: Serials and Binding, 1884-1949
  14. Series 14: Reserve Reading Lists, 1938-1961
  15. Series 15: Research and Instruction, 1974-2014
  16. Series 16: Addendum, 1910-1968

Related Materials

Related collections in the College Archives include the Amherst College Library History Collection, the Clubs and Societies Collection (Alexandrian and Athenian Societies series), the Amherst Summer School Collection, and the Friends of the Library Collection. Additional information about the Library may also be found in the General Files (Summer School and Sauveur Summer School of Languages), the Amherst College Early History Project, Volume 36: Summer School of Languages, and in course catalogs and the biographical files of some of the College Librarians.

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
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

Contact:
Amherst College Archives & Special Collections
Robert Frost Library
61 Quadrangle Drive
Amherst MA 01002-5000
(413) 542-2299