Expanded from a room within the Seminary to a multilevel complex, the Library at Mount Holyoke College has been an integral part of academic life since 1837. From 1837 to 1870, the Mount Holyoke Library existed in a room in the original Seminary building. In 1870, the Library was housed in a separate building and the first full-time librarian was employed. In 1905 the College obtained an Andrew Carnegie grant and raised matching funds to build a new, larger library building and in 1917 it was named the Williston Memorial Library. An addition to the building was added in 1935 and a renovation was completed in 1968. Another building expansion took place in 1992. There have been many internal changes such as the automation of the library catalog, the reclassification of the collection, and the formal establishment of a "College History" (later Archives) collection. In 1996, the Mount Holyoke College Library became part of the Library, Information, and Technology Services (LITS) group, formed to combine library, computing, language, media resources, and electronic services into one unit. Through these internal and external changes, the Library has employed five College Librarians: Mary O. Nutting (1870-1901), Bertha E. Blakely (1901-1936), Flora Belle Ludington (1936-1964), Anne C. Edmonds (1964-1994), Susan Perry (1994-2001) and Patricia Albanese (2002- ).
The records of the Library contain histories, annual reports, policy records, financial records, correspondence, manuals, handbooks, leaflets, collection records, accession records, and library programs information. The records document the history and the day-to-day operation of the Library, including correspondence from College Librarians: Mary O. Nutting (1870-1901), Bertha E. Blakely (1901-1936), Flora Belle Ludington (1936-1964), Anne C. Edmonds (1964-1994), and Susan Perry (1994-2001). Also included are financial records for various departments of the Library with information from Library Accounts, Department Appropriations and Expenditures, and The Treasurer's Office. The records contain annual summaries of Library's budgets and accounts, department account summaries, and information on various funds, staff memos, guests books, manuals and handbooks for staff and students, subscriptions information on periodicals and newspapers, expansion and renovation plans and budgets, information about the Women's Christian College in Mardas, India including annual reports, correspondence, financial records, books funds, and committee meetings minutes and agendas. There are also annual reports generated from various Library departments such as the Order Department, Circulation, Reference, Readers' Services, Cataloging, Reserve Books, and Audio-Visual. The histories consist of historical sketches, brochures, manuals, publications and articles using material from the Archives. Of particular note are those written by Bertha E. Blakely that span the one hundred years of library history. The records also contain mission statements, monthly reports, and correspondence from various donors, accession registers, HILC (Hampshire Inter-Library Center) records, Five College Library Council and CSIT (Curriculum Support and Instructional Technology) records.
Restricted
Records restricted to use by office/department of origin for 25 years from date of record creation
Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:
Library Information Technology Services, Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections, South Hadley, MA.