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The New Library (1886/87)
The school's first separate library building was constructed in 1886-87
near Divinity Hall. Designed by the Boston architectural firm of Peabody
and Stearns, it had thick brick walls with brownstone trimmings and
Gothic ornamental details, iron staircases, gables and chimneys, and a
masonry porch. When its building was proposed, Acting Dean Francis G.
Peabody suggested it should be part of a "Divinity
quadrangle." Today the building is part of the Harvard University
Herbaria at 20 Divinity Avenue.
The following extracts from the annual Dean's Reports
chronicle the Library's progress:
The number of bound volumes was found to be larger than previous
estimates had indicated, owing to the fact that in former
enumerations, pamphlets after being bound had still been reckoned as
pamphlets and not as volumes. The card-catalogue increased slowly
during the year and a beginning was made in a card subject-catalogue.
I canot omit reference to the generous donation by Mrs. Ezra of a
large part of Dr. Abbot's library, the gift including nearly four
thousand volumes. Mrs. Abbot, without making any formal condition upon
which the gift depends, yet states in her letter of donation that she
should be glad to be assured of two things: first, that the collection
shall be kept, under the title of the Ezra Abbot Library, so far
intact as is consistent with its usefulness; second, that there shall
be secured as soon as possible for this collection, and for the rest
of the Divinity School library, a more adequate and safe place of
deposit. The nature of the collection will probably make it easy to
fulfil to a large extent the first of these requests. The second
brings to light a need of the School that has been long felt and which
is made by this gift more pressing, that of a fire-proof library
distinct from Divinity Hall, but easily accessible from it. This is
important for the preservation of our books, for the encouragement of
future donations, and for making possible the transferance from Gore
Hall of volumes important to students of Theology. Such transferance
is made to some departmental libraries to the great advantage of
students in these departments. It cannot be done in the case of
Divinity library, as the risk from fire is too great.
Among the donations received during the last year may be men-tioned an
anonymous gift of $750, and a gift of $450 from George S. Hale, Esq.
This latter amount is, at the request of Mr. Hale, devoted to the
purchase of books for the library.
Dean's Report, 1883/1884
5. THE PROGRESS OF THE SCHEME FOR A NEW LIBRARY BUILDING.
This demand, it will be remembered, was made imperative by the gift of
the Ezra Abbot library. During the past year satisfactory plans have
been secured, the estimates for which amount to $35,000. Individual
subscriptions, and the gift of the Society for Promoting Theological
Education, have reached a sum within ten thousand dollars of the
amount needed, and it is safe to hope that the building will be
erected during the summer of 1886. It seems best to urge, however,
that this is not the end of the expenditure on buildings which the
School immediately needs. It is absolutely necessary that Divinity
Hall should be so renovated as to make it a modern and attractive
building. The Divinity School deserves to be as well housed as the
rest of the University, and it is at present in great contrast with
all other departments. It should be, in my opinion, the purpose of the
Corporation to utilize for the Divinity School the square of ground
which lies behind Divinity Hall, and to develop it into a quadrangle
of the same general form as the quadrangle of the Agassiz Museum. Of
this space, Divinity Hall would form the front, the new library
building should be the north side and would be connected with Divinity
Hall by a covered passage. On the south side should be placed a new
and more commodious chapel, and the rear should be for the present
left open to the woods beyond.
Dean's Report, 1884/1885 (Francis G. Peabody,
Acting Dean)
The most marked event of the year was the laying the foundation of
a new building to contain fire-proof accommodation for the library, a
reading-room and lecture-rooms. The generosity of the friends of the
School which made this erection possible is most gratefully
acknowledged. A list of gifts and donors will be found in the
Treasurer's report. Special mention should be made, however, of the
great service rendered by the Society for Promoting Theological
Education. This society, to which the School has been so much indebted
from the time of its first independent existence, entered most
heartily into the work, made a generous appropriation of the funds
that are in its hands, and appointed a committee of its members, who
coöperated effectually with the acting Dean in his energetic and
successful efforts to raise the money necessary for this building. The
commencement of the work was delayed by the disturbances in labor
which in the last year interrupted so much of the business of the
country, but it will probably be completed during the current year.
...
The Librarian reports an addition to the library during the year of
539 volumes; 380 volumes were, however, sold during the year, these
being duplicate copies which were not needed. The net increase in
volumes is thus 180. By this sale the sum of $150 was realized, which
will be expended in the purchase of new books. The library contains at
present 17,569 volumes and 2308 pamphlets. This statement does not
include nearly 4000 volumes, which formed a part of the library of
the. late Professor Ezra Abbot, and which, as was stated in a former
report, were presented to the Library of the Divinity School by Mrs.
Abbot. Although these books belong to the library they cannot actually
form a part of it until the building now in process of construction
shall be completed.
Dean's Report, 1885/1886
In 1887-88 the School enjoyed for the first time the use of the new
library building. It proved both pleasant and convenient, and now
appears to have been indispensable to the best work of the School. The
use of the library has increased at least three-fold since the change.
By the erection of the new building, the space in Divinity Hall that
had been given up to the library and to lecture rooms was set at
liberty. With the exception of the Chapel, Divinity Hall is now
entirely used for students' chambers. By the change six additional
room are gained, and one room that, had ben encroached upon by a
lecture room was restored to its original proportions. The addition to
the rent of the building that comes from these sources is $350. ...
The removal of the library to the new building made imperative what
had long been desirable, a new arrangement and cataloguing of the
books. The last year all the books were classified and arranged upon
the shelves in accordance with the classification. They were also
relabeled within and without. All needful preparations were made for
commencing a card-catalogue this year. The School is indebted to the
experience, ingenuity, and efficiency of the librarian, D. J. H..
Ward, Ph.D., for much of the success with which these changes have
been accomplished. Professor Thayer, the chairman of the Library
Committee, has also given much time and thought to the matter.
Dean's Report, 1887/1888
The new library proved itself even more useful than in the
preceding year. During the latter part of the year it was open in the
evening, as well as during the day, and was largely frequented. The
use of this room has been extended to College students taking Divinity
School courses, for which no books are reserved in Gore Hall; to
clergymen resident in Cambridge, and to students in the Episcopal
Theological School. This last provision was made in response to a
petition from two or three members of that School that they might be
allowed to make such use of the library.
The "Faculty-room," which serves also as the Dean's office,
proves a great convenience. The Dean is there at a certain time every
day; and the room being directly opposite to the reading-room, it easy
and natural for the students to have communication with him. The need
is already felt, however, of a larger lecture-room, as it is very
desirable that all the lectures which primarily belong to the Divinity
School should be given in connection with it. The large attendance of
College students renders this, in some cases, impossible. It would be
well if there could be found a way to throw two of the lecture-rooms
together when a larger hall is needed.
The School received the last year from Mr. Stephen Salisbury of
Worcester a valuable gift of 65 Babylonian written tablets. Of
such tablets there are now about 150 in the collection of the school,
including six which belong to the University. It is greatly to
be desired that these might serve as the nucleus of a Semitic Museum,
in which Palestinian antiquities and other objects of interest should
have a prominent place ...
The work of cataloguing was continued during the year. Though
this involvrs an expenditure which the School at present can ill
afford, it is a work of absolute necessity.
Dean's Report, 1888/1889
Of the accessions 192 volumes and 1 pamphlet were purchased. The
most important gift of the year was that of 47 volumes by bequest of
Rev. William Silsbee. This was increased by the gift of 22 volumes
made by his widow from his library. Books and pamphlets (of the latter
1383) were given by Mrs. Henry W. Foote from the library of her late
husband. Similar gifts from the library of Dr. Hedge were made by his
children. 30 volumes and 43 pamphlets were received from the American
Unitarian Association, through which gift we have all of the
publications of this Association which are now in print.
The important work of cataloguing the Library has been diligent
carried on during the year. The object of the catalogue is not merely
to enable a person to obtain books, the titles and authors of which.,
knows, but also to make it possible for any one wishing to consult
Library in regard to any topic to learn what is the help which Library
can give him. Books are thus catalogued, not only as title and author;
there is also given, so far as important books and subjects are
concerned, some analysis of their contents. To take and obvious
example, one studying in regard to the authorship of the fourth Gospel
might perhaps have no idea that in Ezra Abbot's "Critical
Essays" is contained one of the most important discussions of
this subject. In the new catalogue, under the appropriate heading,
reference will be made to this and to other discussions that are worth
consulting. This analysis obviously requires to be made very fully and
with great judgment. It requires, also, learning both general and
special. We are fortunate in having to conduct this work a librarian
so well fitted for it as Robert S. Morison, A.M., a graduate of the
School. This work involves an expenditure which the School is hardly
able to bear, but the need is so pressing that the work cannot be
deferred. From the nature of the case the process is a slow one,
especially as those engaged in it have other duties in connection with
the Library. During the year 3180 volumes were cataloged.
The greater part of the use of the Library is that of the reserved
books in the reference room; of this no statistics can be given. From
October 1st, 1889, to June 30th, 1890, there were taken from stack 758
volumes, and from the reserved books, for use over night, 665 volumes.
There was a tolerably steady increase, month by month, in the number
of books borrowed from the stack. The number of such books in October
this year was more than a third larger than that in October, 1889.
In my last report reference was made to the value of objects
illustrating Biblical subjects. Since that time a gift of money has
been announced from Mr. Jacob H. Schiff to the University for the
beginning of a Semitic museum. While this museum will have no organic
connection with the School, its resources will always be at the
service of Divinity Students, and cannot fail to increase interest
among us in the study of the Bible. The School may congratulate itself
on having within easy reach collections so intimately connected with
Biblical peoples and history.
Dean's Report, 1889/1890
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This online exhibit was prepared in 2000.
Copyright ©2000-2005 by the President & Fellows of Harvard College
Address corrections or comments to Clifford
Wunderlich.
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