Henry S. Olcott Memorial Library - Revision history

SysopJ: /* Additional resources */

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Additional resources

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	== Additional resources ==		== Additional resources ==

			=== Articles ===

			* '''[https://www.theosophyforward.com/a-treasure-hidden-in-plain-sight-the-henry-s-olcott-memorial-library-in-wheaton,-illinois?fbclid=IwY2xjawRUm21leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFFQXFmNFA4a09PUmlpUXpTc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHoQ0_8ZEqG6Xo8goQlZ_4Ubizxzx8G5NXu_vFKbWsCi1pzb6u2H4dnNVnnzI_aem_w5st2O8ibflRRBb_GpxUIA "A Treasure Hidden in Plain Sight: The Henry S. Olcott Memorial Library in Wheaton, Illinois"]''' by Anna de Leon. Posted 18 April 2026 in ''Theosophy Forward''.

	=== Website ===		=== Website ===

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Construction

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	== Construction ==		== Construction ==

	When the Society moved to the Wheaton site in 1927, the south end of the building was expressly designed to house the library collection that was growing rapidly. The Society proposed to honor Mr. Rogers in 1932 by naming it the Rogers Library, but he preferred that it should be called the National Theosophical Library.<ref>"Addition to Headquarters Estate - Mr. Rogers Honored," ''The Theosophical Messenger'' 20.10 (October 1932), 227.</ref><ref>S.. A. C. <nowiki>[</nowiki>Sidney A. Cook<nowiki>[</nowiki>, "The National Theosophical Library," ''The American Theosophist'' 21.1 (January 1933), 21.</ref> In 1970, [[Joy Mills]] proposed renaming the library as '''"Olcott Library & Research Center"''' in honor of the Theosophical Society's Founder-President [[Henry Steel Olcott\|Colonel Henry S. Olcott]].<ref>Joy Mills ''100 Years of Theosophy: A History of The Theosophical Society in America'' (Wheaton, Ill.: Theosophical Publishing House, 1987), 172.</ref> Under [[John Algeo]], the name was adjusted to the current phrasing.<ref>John Algeo "President's Annual Report 1998" ''The Quest'' 86 no.10 (October, 1998): 4.</ref> For many years the library served as the location for monthly public open houses and teas, at which the guests were entertained by musical performances and speakers.		When the Society moved to the Wheaton site in 1927, the south end of the building was expressly designed to house the library collection that was growing rapidly. The Society proposed to honor Mr. Rogers in 1932 by naming it the Rogers Library, but he preferred that it should be called the National Theosophical Library.<ref>L. W. Rogers, "Naming Our Library" ''The Theosophical Messenger'' 20 no.11 (November, 1932): 252.</ref><ref>"Addition to Headquarters Estate - Mr. Rogers Honored," ''The Theosophical Messenger'' 20.10 (October 1932), 227.</ref><ref>S.. A. C. <nowiki>[</nowiki>Sidney A. Cook<nowiki>[</nowiki>, "The National Theosophical Library," ''The American Theosophist'' 21.1 (January 1933), 21.</ref> In 1970, [[Joy Mills]] proposed renaming the library as '''"Olcott Library & Research Center"''' in honor of the Theosophical Society's Founder-President [[Henry Steel Olcott\|Colonel Henry S. Olcott]].<ref>Joy Mills ''100 Years of Theosophy: A History of The Theosophical Society in America'' (Wheaton, Ill.: Theosophical Publishing House, 1987), 172.</ref> Under [[John Algeo]], the name was adjusted to the current phrasing.<ref>John Algeo "President's Annual Report 1998" ''The Quest'' 86 no.10 (October, 1998): 4.</ref> For many years the library served as the location for monthly public open houses and teas, at which the guests were entertained by musical performances and speakers.

	=== Expansion in 1962-63 ===		=== Expansion in 1962-63 ===

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Video tour and tutorials

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	[[File:Llibrary catalog pulldown.png\|right\|150px\|thumb\|Pulldown menu from library catalog]].		[[File:Llibrary catalog pulldown.png\|right\|150px\|thumb\|Pulldown menu from library catalog]].

	== Additional resources ==		== Additional resources ==

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BookEye 4 Scanner

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	* '''[[The Theosophist (periodical)\|''The Theosophist'']]''' - dozens of issues have been scanned in a project supporting a ProQuest database.		* '''[[The Theosophist (periodical)\|''The Theosophist'']]''' - dozens of issues have been scanned in a project supporting a ProQuest database.

	For more titles, including downloadable audio recordings, visit the Theosophical Society in America's [https://archive.org/details/@the_theosophical_society_in_america Internet Archive collections].		For more titles, including downloadable audio recordings, visit the Theosophical Society in America's '''[https://archive.org/details/@the_theosophical_society_in_america Internet Archive collections]'''.

	=== ProQuest ===		=== ProQuest ===

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Books

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	=== Books ===		=== Books ===

	* [https://archive.org/details/olcott-library-annotated-reading-list Olcott Library Annotated Reading List]. 1988. Bound collection of reading lists featuring books in the library, arranged topically. These were written over several years, and compiled around 1988.		* '''[https://archive.org/details/olcott-library-annotated-reading-list Olcott Library Annotated Reading List]'''. 1988. Bound collection of reading lists featuring books in the library, arranged topically. These were written over several years, and compiled around 1988.

	== Photo gallery ==		== Photo gallery ==

SysopJ: /* Website and online resources */

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Website and online resources

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	[[File:Llibrary catalog pulldown.png\|right\|150px\|thumb\|Pulldown menu from library catalog]].		[[File:Llibrary catalog pulldown.png\|right\|150px\|thumb\|Pulldown menu from library catalog]].
	== Website ~~and online resources~~ ==		== Additional resources ==

			=== Website ===
	Many resources are available in the [http://www.theosophical.org/library '''Website for the library''']. To find them, click on the '''Library Catalog'''. A pulldown menu is available by clicking the three bars at the top right of the catalog page.		Many resources are available in the [http://www.theosophical.org/library '''Website for the library''']. To find them, click on the '''Library Catalog'''. A pulldown menu is available by clicking the three bars at the top right of the catalog page.

	[https://www.theosophical.org/reading-list '''Reading Lists'''] provide help to patrons who are looking for materials about a specific topic. There are also links to [https://www.theosophical.org/periodicals '''Theosophical periodicals'''] and resources that are available online.		[https://www.theosophical.org/reading-list '''Reading Lists'''] provide help to patrons who are looking for materials about a specific topic. There are also links to [https://www.theosophical.org/periodicals '''Theosophical periodicals'''] and resources that are available online.

			=== Books ===

			* [https://archive.org/details/olcott-library-annotated-reading-list Olcott Library Annotated Reading List]. 1988. Bound collection of reading lists featuring books in the library, arranged topically. These were written over several years, and compiled around 1988.

	== Photo gallery ==		== Photo gallery ==

SysopJ at 17:07, 24 March 2025

2025-03-24T17:07:11Z

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	[[File:Llibrary catalog pulldown.png\|right\|150px\|thumb\|Pulldown menu from library catalog]].		[[File:Llibrary catalog pulldown.png\|right\|150px\|thumb\|Pulldown menu from library catalog]].

	== Website and online resources ==		== Website and online resources ==
	Many resources are available in the [http://www.theosophical.org/library '''Website for the library''']. To find them, click on the '''Library Catalog'''. A pulldown menu is available by clicking the three bars at the top right of the catalog page.		Many resources are available in the [http://www.theosophical.org/library '''Website for the library''']. To find them, click on the '''Library Catalog'''. A pulldown menu is available by clicking the three bars at the top right of the catalog page.

SysopJ: /* Video tour and tutorials */

2025-03-24T17:06:14Z

Video tour and tutorials

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	[[File:Llibrary catalog pulldown.png\|right\|150px\|thumb\|Pulldown menu from library catalog]].		[[File:Llibrary catalog pulldown.png\|right\|150px\|thumb\|Pulldown menu from library catalog]].

	== Website and online resources ==		== Website and online resources ==
	Many resources are available in the [http://www.theosophical.org/library '''Website for the library''']. To find them, click on the '''Library Catalog'''. A pulldown menu is available by clicking the three bars at the top right of the catalog page.		Many resources are available in the [http://www.theosophical.org/library '''Website for the library''']. To find them, click on the '''Library Catalog'''. A pulldown menu is available by clicking the three bars at the top right of the catalog page.

SysopJ: /* Pamphlets, books, and audio recordings */

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Pamphlets, books, and audio recordings

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	=== Pamphlets, books, and audio recordings ===		=== Pamphlets, books, and audio recordings ===

	Pamphlets, audio recordings, and a few books from the library collection and the Archives Department are being digitized. They are posted on the Internet Archive under the contributor name '''[https://archive.org/details/@the_theosophical_society_in_america The Theosophical Society in America]'''. Some have been established as [https://archive.org/details/@the_theosophical_society_in_america/collections named collections]:		Pamphlets, audio recordings, and a few books from the library collection and the Archives Department are being digitized in-house and by vendors. They are posted on the Internet Archive under the contributor name '''[https://archive.org/details/@the_theosophical_society_in_america The Theosophical Society in America]'''. Some have been established as [https://archive.org/details/@the_theosophical_society_in_america/collections named collections]:

	* '''[https://archive.org/details/Annie-Besant Annie Besant]''' - pamphlets.		* '''[https://archive.org/details/Annie-Besant Annie Besant]''' - pamphlets.

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Library catalog and affiliations

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	A '''library union catalog''' was first established in June, 2000. The Sellon family and [[The Kern Foundation\|the Kern Foundation]] provided grants to fund a new automated library system that supported a Web-based catalog shared with the [[Krotona Library]] and the [[Emily Sellon Memorial Library]]. Librarians Elisabeth Trumpler of Olcott, Lakshmi Narayanaswami of the Krotona Institute and Michael Gomes of New York spent a week in training sessions before the system was implemented.		A '''library union catalog''' was first established in June, 2000. The Sellon family and [[The Kern Foundation\|the Kern Foundation]] provided grants to fund a new automated library system that supported a Web-based catalog shared with the [[Krotona Library]] and the [[Emily Sellon Memorial Library]]. Librarians Elisabeth Trumpler of Olcott, Lakshmi Narayanaswami of the Krotona Institute and Michael Gomes of New York spent a week in training sessions before the system was implemented.

	Under the leadership of Marina Maestas, the library became a participant in the RAILS (Reaching Across Illinois) Library System and in the MAGIC (Multitype Automation Group in Cooperation) consortium of public, school, and other libraries. In 2017, the MAGIC libraries all joined the larger '''SWAN consortium''' (System Wide Automated Network) of 96 libraries in northern Illinois. Through SWAN, the library shares catalog and loan services, with a customized ~~'''[https://catalog.swanlibraries.net/client/en_US/tod~~ catalog interface~~]'''~~ that displays a moving stream of new titles and links to many other features of the library web page. After joining SWAN, the circulation of Theosophical Society books to the general public quadrupled.		Under the leadership of Marina Maestas, the library became a participant in the RAILS (Reaching Across Illinois) Library System and in the MAGIC (Multitype Automation Group in Cooperation) consortium of public, school, and other libraries. In 2017, the MAGIC libraries all joined the larger '''SWAN consortium''' (System Wide Automated Network) of 96 libraries in northern Illinois. Through SWAN, the library shares catalog and loan services, with a customized catalog interface that displays a moving stream of new titles and links to many other features of the library web page. After joining SWAN, the circulation of Theosophical Society books to the general public quadrupled.

	The Olcott Library engages actively in '''interlibrary loans''', and its holdings can be viewed through OCLC Worldcat. The [[Krotona Library]] and the [[Emily Sellon Memorial Library]] are still tightly connected to the Olcott Library through this system.		The Olcott Library engages actively in '''interlibrary loans''', and its holdings can be viewed through OCLC Worldcat. The [[Krotona Library]] and the [[Emily Sellon Memorial Library]] are still tightly connected to the Olcott Library through this system.