Friends of the Library
We INVITE YOU to join the Friends of the Rosemont College Library!
The Friends of the Rosemont College Library was established in 1987, the sixtieth
anniversary of the College, to increase the visibility of the Library in the community,
to encourage volunteers, and to generate new funds.
The Gertrude Kistler Memorial Library opened in 1926 on the College Green, a gift
from Mr. and Mrs. Sedgwick Kistler as a memorial to their daughter. The Library has
been expanded twice. In 1935, the Kistlers offered to undertake the cost of an addition
to the building. In 1954, funds from the Kistler estate were used to build another
wing which included a new reference room and enough space for 120,000 books.
As the Library continues to grow and expand, a major source of support will be provided
by the Friends of the Rosemont College Library. Funds are primarily raised through
memberships of the community. The Oktoberfest book sale held during Fall Weekend,
and Book Days at Borders Books and Music in December are additional sources of revenue.
Funds are used to purchase books, references materials, computers, furnishings, and
archival supplies not provided for in the annual college budget.
Over the years the Friends have attracted members of the community to the campus by
sponsoring musical programs, trips, and lectures. Award-winning authors such as Deirdre
Bair, Gayle Pemberton, Carolyn Heilbrun, and Marge Peircy have spoken to large crowds
at the spring lecture. A new project undertaken and funded by the Friends involves
the organization and preservation of materials in the Rosemont Collection which chronicles
the history of the College and is housed in the Gertrude Kistler Memorial Library.
Memorabilia, photographs, manuscripts, and publications have been gathered, organized,
and preserved.
The Rosemont College Library needs the continuing support of Friends, both old and
new, to ensure its growth and expansion of information services. We need volunteers
to work in the Library and to assist at Friends' functions.