Molesworth Institute
Encyclopedia
The Molesworth Institute is one of the major sources of library
humor, as well as a repository for various kinds of "librariana". It was founded by Francis A. T. Johns and Norman D. Stevens, the Director.
Since the first article, "The Molesworth Institute", appeared in the ALA
Bulletin (57:756-7, 1963). Over 50 articles describing the results of specialized research carried out by the staff of the Institute have appeared in all of the major American professional library journals, as well as in library journals in Brazil
, Italy
, Russia
, and Sweden
. Its most recent article, "The First Fully Electronic Library", appears in the January 2006 issue of College & Research Libraries and variant versions have, or will, be published in France
, Italy, and Sweden. In addition to the research staff, there are now 84 Fellow
s of the Molesworth Institute who assist in the furtherance of the organization's work.
Its primary focus is on library humor and its Archives of Library Humor is the most extensive of its kind. The Institute has also developed a sizeable collection of library postcard
s and commemorative and souvenir china
all of which is located in the Centre Canadienne d'Architecture. Other significant collections include a file of prominent individuals who worked in libraries, a file of more than 1,000 quotation
s relating to librarians and libraries, a collection of more than 1,000 postcards depicting books and reading, a large collection of children's books dealing with books, reading, librarians, and libraries, and a collection of several hundred objects in the shape of books. The children's books are now part of the Northeast Children's Literature Collection (NCLC) in the Thomas J. Dodd
Research Center at the University of Connecticut
in Storrs, Connecticut
. The other collections, along with the Archives of the Institute, will eventually be housed in the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center as well.
The headquarters of the Institute is located on 143 Hanks Hill Road, in Storrs, CT, which also happens to be the office of Norman D. Stevens, the director of the University Libraries at the University of Connecticut.
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
humor, as well as a repository for various kinds of "librariana". It was founded by Francis A. T. Johns and Norman D. Stevens, the Director.
Since the first article, "The Molesworth Institute", appeared in the ALA
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
Bulletin (57:756-7, 1963). Over 50 articles describing the results of specialized research carried out by the staff of the Institute have appeared in all of the major American professional library journals, as well as in library journals in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Its most recent article, "The First Fully Electronic Library", appears in the January 2006 issue of College & Research Libraries and variant versions have, or will, be published in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy, and Sweden. In addition to the research staff, there are now 84 Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
s of the Molesworth Institute who assist in the furtherance of the organization's work.
Its primary focus is on library humor and its Archives of Library Humor is the most extensive of its kind. The Institute has also developed a sizeable collection of library postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
s and commemorative and souvenir china
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
all of which is located in the Centre Canadienne d'Architecture. Other significant collections include a file of prominent individuals who worked in libraries, a file of more than 1,000 quotation
Quotation
A quotation or quote is the repetition of one expression as part of another one, particularly when the quoted expression is well-known or explicitly attributed by citation to its original source, and it is indicated by quotation marks.A quotation can also refer to the repeated use of units of any...
s relating to librarians and libraries, a collection of more than 1,000 postcards depicting books and reading, a large collection of children's books dealing with books, reading, librarians, and libraries, and a collection of several hundred objects in the shape of books. The children's books are now part of the Northeast Children's Literature Collection (NCLC) in the Thomas J. Dodd
Thomas J. Dodd
Thomas Joseph Dodd was a United States Senator and Representative from Connecticut, He was the first Senator censured by the US Senate since Joseph McCarthy in 1954, and was one of only six people censured by the Senate in the 20th century. He is the father of former U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd...
Research Center at the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
in Storrs, Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
Storrs is a census-designated place and part of the town of Mansfield, Connecticut located in eastern Tolland County. The population was 10,996 at the 2000 census...
. The other collections, along with the Archives of the Institute, will eventually be housed in the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center as well.
The headquarters of the Institute is located on 143 Hanks Hill Road, in Storrs, CT, which also happens to be the office of Norman D. Stevens, the director of the University Libraries at the University of Connecticut.
External links
- Article citing hoax in Who's Who in Library Service as the source of the name Molesworth
- Archives of Library Research From the Molesworth Institute