Early Catalogs and Shelflists of the Harvard College Library

Scope and Contents

Books are listed alphabetically, by author, title, or other keyword, and entries include format, number of volumes, and place and date of publication. Annotations denote volumes donated by Thomas Hollis, John Hancock, and the Province of New Hampshire (indicated by "Hamp."). The shelf location of the Hollis donations has been added.

Scope and Contents

This manuscript supplement, written in multiple hands including that of William Mayhew, augments the alphabetical catalog begun by Andrew Eliot in 1765. It is believed to have been created in 1768, with additional entries made through 1770. Entries contain the same information as that in the Catalogus Librorum, including annotations to indicate donations from Thomas Hollis, John Hancock, and New Hampshire.

Scope and Contents

Unlike the catalog it supplements, this folio manuscript is not alphabetized. It includes the title, format, and number of volumes for 85 additions to the Harvard College Library, presumably made in the years soon after Eliot began his Catalogus Librorum.

Scope and Contents Entries are arranged alphabetically by title, author, or other keyword. They contain each item's title, number of volumes, and format. Notations indicate volumes donated by Thomas Hollis, John Hancock, or the Province of New Hampshire. Although the initial entries are in the hand of William Mayhew, there are additions and annotations through at least 1789, in multiple hands. This was apparently an active record, regularly updated by subsequent librarians. The alcove, bookcase, and shelf...

Scope and Contents

An accompanying note reads: “This volume was probably in use when the Revolutionary War drove the College to Concord.” Adams is believed to have begun this catalog in 1771, as it contains volumes not listed in William Mayhew's catalog, compiled only a year earlier. Entries include title; format; place and date of publication; alcove, bookcase, and shelf location; and donor.

Scope and Contents

This manuscript catalog is believed to be in the hand of Samuel Langdon, Harvard's President during the American Revolutionary War. Books are listed alphabetically and entries include title, format, number of volumes, and location information. A sheet glued to the back cover contains “A List of Broken Volumes,” presumably books that were somehow damaged.

Scope and Contents

This manuscript document has been dated to 1779 by one source, 1785 by another, and 1790 by another. It is believed to be the sole remaining page of a library catalog copied by Phillips Payson.

Scope and Contents

This manuscript document contains a ten-page draft of an alphabetical list titled "Books not readily found in General Catalogue," containing entries with abbreviated author and title information, with many struck-through entries, followed by a two-page revised version of the list containing the entries that were not struck through in the first version. The document also contains a one-page list of titles and alcove locations that includes a section marked "Tracts yet undiscovered."

Scope and Contents

This manuscript document contains a nine-page incomplete alphabetical index with abbreviated author and title information for entries beginning with "Abadie, Eng: pr." and ending with "Copernicus."

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Note on first page reads: "N.B. Those with this mark are prohibited [the mark: a circle with a horizontal line through it] Undergraduates Library." Contains entries for books published through 1788.

Scope and Contents

Note on inside cover reads: "P. [stands for] absolute prohibitions × [stands for absolute prohibitions?] to undergraduates."

Scope and Contents

All entries written in the same hand, likely of William Mayhew.

Scope and Contents

Alcove 6 contained primarily history, geography and science (natural philosophy) books, as well as sermons.

Scope and Contents

First page reads: "Catalog [of] books from Scotland & some bought with Subscription money &c &c."