New Acquisition and Archives Exhibit: Lutheran Historical Postcards

Front of postcard depicting Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg.

The Seminary Archives have recently received a donation of over 700 Lutheran historical postcards! Spanning across the United States and into Canada, the collection contains images of Lutheran camps, colleges universities, schools, hospitals, orphanages, and retirement homes.

Back of postcard, postmarked December 6, 1915.

Some of the postcards contain correspondence, which is a rare find. This one in particular was mailed to Nova Scotia, Canada from Gettysburg on December 6, 1915. The sender, Mrs. Henry Wherley writes to her friend, Mrs. Austin Cleveland, mentioning a recent snowfall, the upcoming Christmas holiday, and that Mrs. Cleveland's mother has fallen ill. Mrs. Wherley asks, "did you even try rubbing dog fat on her legs...?" Quite a strange remedy, which I don't think became too popularized over the century! If you know anything about this so-called "remedy," leave a comment below!

To view more of the historical postcard collection, stop by the Library Lobby where an assortment are on display, or contact  Assistant Archivist, Sheila Joy at sjoy@ltsg.edu or via telephone at 717-339-1317.

Suffering, Death, and Enemies: Rare Books from the A. R. Wentz Library Collection

Thank you to everyone who attended the Suffering, Death, and Enemies: Rare Books from the A. R. Wentz Library Collection and enjoyed our wine and cheese spread. The reception was hosted by our Library Director and Archivist, B. Bohleke and the exhibit was prepared by Karin Bohleke of LTSG and Shippensburg University with assistance from Vince Evener,  LTSG Visiting Instructor in Reformation and Luther Studies. The exhibit featured publications by Martin Luther's contemporaries--both faithful supporters, and "enemies" who wrote against the Reformation. The exhibit will remain up until Friday, October 28th.

Want to learn more about our rare book collection and Seminary Archives holdings? Contact the Assistant Archivist, Sheila Joy by email at sjoy@ltsg.edu or by phone at 717- 339-1317.

Library Book Sale

Mark your calendars! The fall book sale will be happening October 24-29 in the Pioneer Room on the first floor of the library!

Book Sale Schedule

$2.00          Monday, Oct. 24: Students, Faculty, & Staff only (ID will be checked) --

3:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.

$2.00          Tuesday, Oct. 25: General Public beginning     8:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m.

$2.00          Wednesday Oct. 26:                                              8:30 a.m. -- 5:30 p.m.

$1.00          Thursday, Oct. 27:                                                 8:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m.

$  .25          Friday, Oct. 28:                                                      8:30 a.m.—3:30 p.m.

Free            Saturday, Oct. 29:                                                  11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

All proceeds from the book sale are collected specifically to raise money for the purchase of materials and supplies for the A. R. Wentz Library.

Spreading Awareness About Archives

October is American Archives Month! Since 2006, this month is dedicated to promoting the work of archivists, individuals who collect and preserve items of enduring value, and the institutions in which they work. Archivists play a vital role in making these materials accessible to the public. Without archivists and Archives to preserve the unique records of institutions and individuals, the past would be forgotten. The Seminary Archives in the A.R. Wentz Library collects materials of importance relating to the history and day-to-day operations of the Seminary. Many people have heard of Archives, but are not quite sure what they are. Since we are celebrating American Archives this month, there will be a series of blog posts guided toward spreading awareness about the Seminary Archives, what we house, and how can we benefit you as a patron. This first post will be a general introductory post answering basic questions about what an archive is and what archivists do.

Karen's Fall Reading Recommendations

I hope everyone on campus is now settled for Fall Semester 2016!

I wanted to celebrate the Fall season, not just for cooler temperatures, but for its traditions, celebrations and beautiful changes to Mother Nature. With that in mind, in our Library’s collection I have found a couple of inspirational books and a well-known essay by Henry David Thoreau. I searched some fun facts about Fall, and interesting information about the Autumn Equinox. There is even a playlist of great worship songs for autumn--I got you covered!

Come in and take a look in our display cases – you might read or see something you never knew or saw before!

New Archives Exhibit: Signed Mother Teresa Biography

The Seminary Archives has a new exhibit up featuring our newest acquisition! On September 9th, 2016 Rev. Richard Englund donated a biography signed by Mother Teresa during a special Morning Prayer service in commemoration of her canonization. Mother Teresa was canonized, "St. Teresa of Calcutta" on September 5, 2016 by the Roman Catholic Church. Rev. Englund also donated a photograph of St. Teresa with Alice DeGama Brown, whom is the connection between Rev. Englund and the biography written by Navin Chawla.

An important figure to all Christians around the world, the Seminary Archives is delighted to have this signed biography and photograph. We welcome anyone who would like to view them in the A.R. Wentz Library lobby.

Want to learn more about Seminary Archives holdings or Gettysburg Seminary History? Contact Assistant Archivist Sheila Joy by email at sjoy@ltsg.edu or by phone at 717- 339-1317.

Library Resources

Library staff member, Sue Currens, is always happy to help!

Welcome all returning and new students here at the Seminary! The library would like to remind you of the many resources available to help make this fall semester a great one as you work hard towards your educational goals.

If you are a returning student, we would like to highlight some new and updated resources available to you, such as the new A.R. Wentz Library Digital Journal Archives and updated Free Online Websites and Resources Directory. The Seminary Archives is also continually updating its Digital Collections, enabling archival resources to be more accessible. Click read more below to view more of our resources.