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The Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods Library
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"I
have sometimes imagined a library, i.e. a collection of the works
of true poets, philosophers, naturalists, etc., deposited not in a brick
and marble edifice in a crowded and dusty city. . . but rather far away
in the depths of the primitive forest. . ."
— Henry D. Thoreau, 3 February 1852
Hours of Operation and Contact Information
Monday-Friday, 10:00 - 4:00 by appointment
The
Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods is closed on:
New Year’s Eve Day
and New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Presidents Day;
Patriots Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day;
Veterans Day; Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following Thanksgiving
Day; Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day.
Contact: Curator
of Collections, Jeffrey S. Cramer
E-Mail:
curator@walden.org
Telephone/Fax: (781) 259-4730
Mailing address: 44 Baker Farm, Lincoln, MA 01773-3004
Guidelines
for Using the Collections
"It
ought not to need to print in a reading-room a caution to
strangers not to speak loud; nor to persons who look over fine
engravings, that they should be handled like cobwebs and
butterflies' wings; nor to persons who look at marble statues,
that they shall not smite them with canes.
But, even in the
perfect civilization of this city, such cautions are not quite
needless in the Athenaeum and City Library."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson "Behavior"
Guidelines
The Collections
including the
Library Catalog
The Henley Library
at the Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods collects research materials
relating to Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), his historical context, and
his contemporary relevance to environmental and human-rights issues, as
well as the work of other environmental writers and social reformers. It
provides the most comprehensive body of Thoreau-related material
available in one place, consisting of 8,000 books and over 60,000 items,
including manuscripts, clippings, articles, correspondence of Thoreau
scholars, photographs, maps and surveys, personal histories, slides,
scrapbooks, ephemera, and realia. While not a
lending library, its collections are available for use in the library by
appointment. The
Curator
will also provide limited reference services.
Thoreau's Life & Writings
This site offers
material by, and relating to, Henry D. Thoreau
(1817–1862).
We are regularly adding data to this site, so please
check back often.
Volunteers
The Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods
Library welcomes and encourages
volunteers. Volunteers expand and supplement the services the
Library is able to offer to the public.
You are
invited to join our dedicated group of volunteers! Volunteers
may donate their time for short or long term projects.
By sharing your time and talent with us, you
can make a big difference in the quality of service the Thoreau
Institute is able to provide.
In an effort to ensure a positive experience with us, the
Library has defined some criteria for successful volunteering. These
include individual responsibility and commitment, maturity, and
attention to detail. Volunteers must be personally invested in
working with us to provide good service in a professional manner.
The Library is unable to provide a one-to-one mentoring
relationship. Individuals must be able to work independently after
initial training.
Some of the
many volunteer opportunities available are:
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Scanning
historical documents or photographs
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Clerical
work: photocopying, de-stapling, alphabetizing, arranging,
filing
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Shelf-reading
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Indexing
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Creating
finding aids
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Transcribing manuscript material
If you are
interested in lending a helping hand to various projects
in the Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods Library,
please the Curator at
curator@walden.org
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