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Hege Library & Learning Technologies
Hege Library & Learning Technologies
The Quaker Archives comprehensively collects publications by and about Quakers (Friends) worldwide. Many of these publications are available whenever the library is open.
The Quaker Archives Research Room has books available for browsing and many can be checked out with a Guilford Quaker card. Items with a blue label and/or marked "library use only" are restricted to use in the library but can be made available by request anytime the library is open.
Most books are included in the Library Catalog and you may also find articles about Quakers through the catalog. Note that many Quaker periodicals are not included in the Library Catalog so you will want to use multiple search strategies. Use this guide to find a variety of sources online through our library's subscriptions and partnerships with other institutions.
In addition to information in books and periodicals, the Quaker Archives also maintains extensive files on particular topics relating to Quakerism. There may also be a manuscript collection or other "hidden" resource useful to your research topic. Contact us at archives@guilford.edu once you have done your initial research to see if there are additional materials relating to your topic.
There are several terms which are used to describe Quakers:
All can be used with keyword searches but "Society of Friends" is the official subject term. Sometimes different books will be listed on your topic depending upon which term(s) you select. Try several different searches to maximize results.
Books with information on your topic may appear in several areas within the library's classification system. Below are a few useful call numbers to help you with browsing the shelves for additional reading:
BX7601-7795 Friends. Society of Friends. Quakers
BX7606.5-7608 Yearly Meetings (includes annual minutes and books of discipline)
BX7615-7617 Collected works (includes concordance to George Fox’s writings)
BX7748.A-Z Other special topics, A-Z
Examples:
.D43 Decision Making
.I5 Inner Light
.M3 Marriage
.S5 Silence
BX7790-7795 Quaker Biography (alphabetical by surname of person)
Many useful Quaker publications are not available full-text online and very few are included in databases you use to find articles for your other classes. Browse the shelves to find other publications of interest. There are publications from many different countries and prespectives with specific focus topics.
Quaker Studies (1996 - present): Biannual interdisciplinary scholarly journal with articles on Quaker topics, including history, sociology, and theology, on an international level. Also available online.
Quaker History (1962 - present and earlier published as the Bulletin of the Friends Historical Association): Biannual scholarly journal featuring articles and book reviews on Quaker history topics. Also available online via Project Muse.
Quaker Theology (1999 - present): Progressive journal and discussion forum focused on theolody and edited by Chuck Fager. Also available online.
Quaker Religious Thought (1959 - present): Sponsored by the Quaker Theological Discussion Group. Current issues in print. Past years available online.
Friends Journal (1955 - present and earlier published as Friends Intelligencer): Monthly magazine associated with the Friends General Conference branch of Quakerism and published in Philadelphia.
Quaker Life (1960 - present and earlier published as The American Friend): Bi-monthly magazine published by Friends United Meeting in Richmond, Indiana.
The Friend (1843 - present): Weekly magazine published by Friends in Britain.