William Mulloy Library
Encyclopedia
The William Mulloy Library (Hare Puka ko Wiliam Mulloy) is a research library
administered by the Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum
on Rapa Nui (Easter Island
) in Chilean Polynesia. Named for the late Dr. William Mulloy
, an American
archaeologist, the library’s collection focuses on Rapa Nui and Polynesian Studies
, especially the prehistory
, history
, ethnology
, archaeology
, cultural anthropology
, osteology
and geology
of Easter Island.
The mission of the William Mulloy Library is threefold. Firstly, the Library seeks to support the field work of archaeologists, anthropologists, linguists, ethnologists and other scholars who come to Easter Island
for research purposes. Secondly, the Library promotes the conservation and study of the cultural patrimony of the Rapa Nui people
. Finally, the Library provides broad access within the island community to the best scholarly resources in Rapa Nui and Polynesian Studies
.
’s personal library forms the core of the collection. The Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum
, the Chilean Directorate of Libraries, Archives and Museums (DiBAM), the Easter Island Foundation
and the Mulloy family have contributed to the original collection, more than doubling it in a short period of time.
The library, located on the campus of the museum in the Tahai
district of the island, has climate-controlled stacks and a seventy-two square-meter lecture hall, which accommodates approximately thirty persons.
, expressed the desire that his personal library, consisting of books, articles, reprints, field notes, maps, photographs and slides, find a permanent home on Rapa Nui in order to be of service to both specialized researchers coming to the island from abroad and to the general public.
After his death, his widow, Emily Ross Mulloy, consigned the collection to Mario Correa, Cultural Attaché
of the Consulate General of Chile
in Washington DC, who with the aid of Marilyn Pugh of LanChile, transferred the library to mainland Chile.
At the time, lack of satisfactory facilities on Rapa Nui did not favor the immediate transfer of library or archival materials. Instead, the collection was entrusted to the Easter Island Foundation
. The Foundation maintained the library at the Fonck Museum in Viña del Mar
, hired a Rapa Nui
librarian and placed the collection at the disposal of the public. In addition to its long-term financial support of the library, the Easter Island Foundation assisted with the relocation of Mulloy Library materials to the island when a suitable space was made ready on Museum premises.
After its transfer from Viña del Mar, the William Mulloy Library opened on Rapa Nui in 2002 and was dedicated by Dr. Mulloy’s widow, Emily Ross Mulloy, Clara Budnik, Director of the DiBAM, and prominent members of the Rapa Nui community.
Research library
A research library is a library which contains an in-depth collection of material on one or several subjects . A research library will generally include primary sources as well as secondary sources...
administered by the Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum
Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum
The Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum is a museum in the town of Hanga Roa on Rapa Nui in Chilean Polynesia. Named for the Bavarian missionary, Fr. Sebastian Englert, OFM Cap., the museum was founded in 1973 and is dedicated to the conservation of the Rapa Nui cultural patrimony...
on Rapa Nui (Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
) in Chilean Polynesia. Named for the late Dr. William Mulloy
William Mulloy
William Thomas Mulloy, Jr. was an American anthropologist. While his early research established him as a formidable scholar and skillful fieldwork supervisor in the province of North American Plains archaeology, he is best known for his studies of Polynesian prehistory, especially his...
, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
archaeologist, the library’s collection focuses on Rapa Nui and Polynesian Studies
Cultural studies
Cultural studies is an academic field grounded in critical theory and literary criticism. It generally concerns the political nature of contemporary culture, as well as its historical foundations, conflicts, and defining traits. It is, to this extent, largely distinguished from cultural...
, especially the prehistory
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, ethnology
Ethnology
Ethnology is the branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the origins, distribution, technology, religion, language, and social structure of the ethnic, racial, and/or national divisions of humanity.-Scientific discipline:Compared to ethnography, the study of single groups through direct...
, archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, cultural anthropology
Cultural anthropology
Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans, collecting data about the impact of global economic and political processes on local cultural realities. Anthropologists use a variety of methods, including participant observation,...
, osteology
Osteology
Osteology is the scientific study of bones. A subdiscipline of anatomy, anthropology, and archeology, osteology is a detailed study of the structure of bones, skeletal elements, teeth, morphology, function, disease, pathology, the process of ossification , the resistance and hardness of bones , etc...
and geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
of Easter Island.
Mission
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
for research purposes. Secondly, the Library promotes the conservation and study of the cultural patrimony of the Rapa Nui people
Rapanui
The Rapa Nui or Rapanui are the native Polynesian inhabitants of Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, in the Pacific Ocean. The easternmost Polynesian culture, the Rapa Nui people make up 60% of Easter Island's population, with some living also in mainland Chile...
. Finally, the Library provides broad access within the island community to the best scholarly resources in Rapa Nui and Polynesian Studies
Cultural studies
Cultural studies is an academic field grounded in critical theory and literary criticism. It generally concerns the political nature of contemporary culture, as well as its historical foundations, conflicts, and defining traits. It is, to this extent, largely distinguished from cultural...
.
Mulloy Collection
The collection of the William Mulloy Library includes books, journals, articles, archival materials, field notes, maps, photographs and audiovisual materials related to Rapa Nui. Dr. William MulloyWilliam Mulloy
William Thomas Mulloy, Jr. was an American anthropologist. While his early research established him as a formidable scholar and skillful fieldwork supervisor in the province of North American Plains archaeology, he is best known for his studies of Polynesian prehistory, especially his...
’s personal library forms the core of the collection. The Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum
Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum
The Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum is a museum in the town of Hanga Roa on Rapa Nui in Chilean Polynesia. Named for the Bavarian missionary, Fr. Sebastian Englert, OFM Cap., the museum was founded in 1973 and is dedicated to the conservation of the Rapa Nui cultural patrimony...
, the Chilean Directorate of Libraries, Archives and Museums (DiBAM), the Easter Island Foundation
Easter Island Foundation
The Easter Island Foundation is an American non-profit organization that promotes the conservation and protection of the fragile cultural heritage of Rapa Nui and other Polynesian islands.-Background of the Foundation:...
and the Mulloy family have contributed to the original collection, more than doubling it in a short period of time.
The library, located on the campus of the museum in the Tahai
Ahu Tahai
The Tahai Ceremonial Complex is an archaeological site on Rapa Nui in Chilean Polynesia. Restored in 1974 by the late Dr. William Mulloy, an American archaeologist, Tahai comprises three principal ahu from north to south: Ko Te Riku , Tahai, and Vai Ure...
district of the island, has climate-controlled stacks and a seventy-two square-meter lecture hall, which accommodates approximately thirty persons.
Background
Shortly before his death, the renowned archaeologist, William MulloyWilliam Mulloy
William Thomas Mulloy, Jr. was an American anthropologist. While his early research established him as a formidable scholar and skillful fieldwork supervisor in the province of North American Plains archaeology, he is best known for his studies of Polynesian prehistory, especially his...
, expressed the desire that his personal library, consisting of books, articles, reprints, field notes, maps, photographs and slides, find a permanent home on Rapa Nui in order to be of service to both specialized researchers coming to the island from abroad and to the general public.
After his death, his widow, Emily Ross Mulloy, consigned the collection to Mario Correa, Cultural Attaché
Cultural attaché
A cultural attaché is a diplomat with special responsibility for promoting the culture of his or her homeland. The position has been used as an official cover for intelligence agents. Historically, the post has often been filled by writers and artists, giving them a steady income, allowing them to...
of the Consulate General of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
in Washington DC, who with the aid of Marilyn Pugh of LanChile, transferred the library to mainland Chile.
At the time, lack of satisfactory facilities on Rapa Nui did not favor the immediate transfer of library or archival materials. Instead, the collection was entrusted to the Easter Island Foundation
Easter Island Foundation
The Easter Island Foundation is an American non-profit organization that promotes the conservation and protection of the fragile cultural heritage of Rapa Nui and other Polynesian islands.-Background of the Foundation:...
. The Foundation maintained the library at the Fonck Museum in Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar , is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Its long stretches of white sandy beaches are a major attraction for national and international tourists. The city is Chile's main tourist attraction. Known as "La Ciudad Jardín" , Viña del Mar is a Chilean Municipality located...
, hired a Rapa Nui
Rapanui
The Rapa Nui or Rapanui are the native Polynesian inhabitants of Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, in the Pacific Ocean. The easternmost Polynesian culture, the Rapa Nui people make up 60% of Easter Island's population, with some living also in mainland Chile...
librarian and placed the collection at the disposal of the public. In addition to its long-term financial support of the library, the Easter Island Foundation assisted with the relocation of Mulloy Library materials to the island when a suitable space was made ready on Museum premises.
After its transfer from Viña del Mar, the William Mulloy Library opened on Rapa Nui in 2002 and was dedicated by Dr. Mulloy’s widow, Emily Ross Mulloy, Clara Budnik, Director of the DiBAM, and prominent members of the Rapa Nui community.