Gertrude Kistler Memorial Library
Collections & Policies
Kistler Library maintains a collection of nearly 70,000 print volumes in all subject areas and a growing host of subscription electronic resources, including over 250,000 ebooks. The Library is also home to the Rosemont College Archives, which preserves the history of the College from its founding in 1922 through the present day.
To view the full list of the Library's electronic databases, click here:
To search the Library's holdings for full text electronic journals, click here:
eBooks are indexed and searchable within the Library's Discovery Catalog:
Alumni Collection
A collection of publications written by alumni of both the Undergraduate College and
SGPS.
Currently located in the Front Reading Room.
Children's Library
An expansive collection of children and young adult fiction and nonfiction, including
picture books and winners of the Caldecott, Newbery, and Coretta Scott King awards,
among others.
Currently located in the Upper Reading Room.
Faculty Collection
A collection of titles written by, or featuring the work of, Rosemont faculty.
Currently located in the Front Reading Room.
Francenia Emery African American Book Collection
A collection of titles written by and about African Americans, including many rare
and first edition books and a signed monograph by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Currently located in the Front Reading Room.
Institute for Ethical Leadership and Social Responsibility Collection
A collection built by Professor Alan Preti to support the work of the Institute.
Currently located in Room 204 (ELSR).
Mr. & Mrs. Kistler Collection
A collection of books donated to the Library by our primary benefactors, the Kistlers,
several of which include their signatures and corresponding gift plates.
Currently located in the Front Reading Room.
Rosemont Collection
A collection of titles concerning Rosemont College, its founders, and related figures.
Currently located in the Front Reading Room.
Capstone and Thesis Collection
A collection of student capstone and thesis projects from various College degree programs.
Some available digitally.
Currently located in Room 204 (ELSR) and the Library Office.
Dr. Charles Cherry First Editions Collection
A collection of First Edition 20th Century American Literature, donated by Dr. Charles
Cherry, who taught at Villanova University.
Currently located in the Director's Office.
Dr. George C. Fago Homer Collection
A collection of various books about Homer as well as a large collection of editions
of The Iliad and The Odyssey dated from 1769 through 2017. Donated by Dr. George Fago,
who taught psychology at Ursinus College and was a devoted classicist. A bibliography
prepared by Professor Tim Jackson is available.
Currently located in the Front Reading Room.
Iwilla Literary Small Press Collection
A collection of items published by Iwilla Press and other small presses, including
highlights by Native American, African American, and Latinx writers, donated by Ms.
Yvonne Chism-Peace '66.
Currently located in the Upper Reading Room.
Paul Ingersoll Publisher's Bindings
A collection of decorative publisher's bindings, with many signed.
Currently located in Room B13.
Rare Book Collection
A collection of miscellaneous rare books dating from the 1600s to the present.
Currently located in Room B13.
Rare Children's Book Collection
A collection of rare and unusual children's books dating from the 1800s to the present.
Currently located in Room B13.
Yvonne Chism-Peace Women's Poetry Collection
A collection of first edition and uncorrected proofs of women's poetry books, anthologies,
and periodicals from the 1970s through the 1990s, which had formed part of the Ms.
Magazine library when Ms. Chism-Peace '66 was their poetry editor.
Currently located in the Upper Reading Room.
Kistler Library is home to the Rosemont College Archives, which preserves the history of the College from its founding in 1922 through the present day. For more information on the College Archives, click here:
The Archives are open by appointment only. For more information, contact the Collection Management Librarian at x2208 or email library@rosemont.edu. Associated policies are linked below.