History of Special Collections @ Colby

  • INTRO
    • Goals
    • Student Scholars Wanted
    • Acknowledgments
    • Contact Us
  • CHRONOLOGY & CONTEXT
    • What Happened (early on)
      • The First Library & Edward Hall
      • The “Rare Book” Section (early 1930s)
    • Our Chronology (1935-1975)
    • Some Context
  • THE PEOPLE
    • Curators
      • Carl Jefferson Weber (Curator 1940-1958)
      • Richard Cary (Curator 1958-1975)
    • Librarians
      • N Orwin Rush (Librarian 1936-1945)
      • Gilmore Warner (Librarian 1945-1947)
      • James Humphry III (Librarian 1947-1957)
      • John R McKenna (Librarian 1957-1964)
      • Kenneth P Blake, Jr (Librarian 1964-1973)
      • Eileen M Curran (Acting Librarian, 1973-1976)
    • Other Colby People
      • Ernest C Marriner ’13
      • Frederick A Pottle ’17
      • Carroll A Wilson ’40 LLD
      • Franklin Winslow Johnson (President 1929-1942)
      • Julius Seelye Bixler (President 1942-1960)
      • Robert Edward Lee Strider II (President 1960-1979)
    • The Colby Library Associates
    • Highlighted Donors
  • HIGHLIGHTED COLLECTIONS
    • Rare Book Collections
      • Early Books
      • Thomas Hardy
      • Book Arts
      • The Rubáiyát
    • Personal Libraries
      • Library of Edwin Arlington Robinson
      • Library of Thomas Sergeant Perry
      • Library of Harold Trowbridge Pulsifer
      • Library of James Augustine Healy
      • Library of Ben Ames Williams
    • Manuscript Collections
    • “A Recent Accession”: The Colby Library Quarterly

Library of Ben Ames Williams

The personal reference library of Ben Ames Williams was given to Special Collections by his wife, Florence, beginning in 1962. The collection of books comprises over 200 volumes used by Williams to obtain background material for his stories and novels. Many of the volumes contain his handwritten annotations. A wide range of subjects are covered including local New England histories, whaling, geography, fishing, hunting, sailing, the Civil War, published diaries and city and town reports. Together, the volumes convey Williams’ meticulous attention to detail and historical accuracy.

Works consulted:

Annual Report of the Curator of Rare Books. Colbiana Collection. Colby College Special Collections.

Annual Report of the Librarian. Colbiana Collection. Colby College Special Collections.

Ben Ames Williams donor file. Colby College Special Collections.

IN THE CATALOG…

Books from Williams’ personal library are described in the Colby Libraries web catalog. They are designated with a WILLIAMS prestamp before the call number.

RELATED MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION

The Ben Ames Williams Collection contains letters, manuscripts, galley proofs, clippings, notebooks, scrapbooks and photographs.

 

Explore Common Threads – and Student Scholarship – in our Manuscript Collections

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