Summary Statement
Special collections in the John J. Burns Library include Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Congressional Archives. This guide offers means of accessing those major groups.
Table of Contents
The collections consist of the Balkan Collection, British Catholic Authors Collection, Burns and Oates Collection, Detective Fiction Collection, Fine Print Collection, General Collection, Irish Collection, Jesuitana Collection, Liturgy and Life Collection, Named Collections, Nicholas M. Williams Ethnological Collection, Nursing Collection, and Salem Divines Collection.
For descriptions of these collections see the John J. Burns Library web page under John J. Burns Library. Special Collections. Rare Books.
QUEST Access
The cataloged books and periodicals in the John J. Burns collections are accessible through Quest, the on-line catalog of the Boston College Libraries. Using Quest’s Advanced Search mode, the searcher can restrict a search to include only books and periodicals cataloged in the John J. Burns. On the advanced search screen, from the box labeled Location select Burns (books and periodicals). Then from the 3 boxes labeled Search Type select appropriate choices such as keyword searches in Author, Title, or Subject indexes as well as Publisher Name or Place and Date of Publication indexes, among others. Once a search type is chosen, type in appropriate information in the adjoining box.
To search ,for example, for works by William Butler Yeats published in London in 1899, select the Search Type Keyword in Author for one box, typing in William Butler Yeats as the keywords for that box. Next select the Search Type Publisher Name or Place for the second box, typing in London for the place of publication, and finally, select the Search Type Publication Year for the third box , typing in 1899. Executing this search will yield 4 records for works in the Burns Library by William Butler Yeats published in London in 1899.
To search for all published works by William Butler Yeats that are held in the Burns, from the box labeled Location select Burns (books and periodicals), then in one of the boxes labeled Search Type, select Keyword in Author and type in William Butler Yeats as the keywords. Execute search by clicking on the Search box. This search brings up 247 records listed in chronological order according to publication date.
(Note that keywords within a search box may be joined by the Boolean term "or" to enable a wider search. The three boxes labeled Search Type may be joined by the Boolean term "and" indicating that the records sought will include all of the terms typed in the search statements. To exclude a term or terms in the search statement choose the Boolean term "not" to link the Search Type boxes. )
The Local Collection Name index, an option of the Browse Search function of the Quest catalog, offers listings in alphabetical order of various collections of the John J. Burns Library. To use this index select the Browse Search function, then in the box labeled Select Index to Browse, select Local Collection Name. In the box labeled Type word or phrase type in the word Acton (for Lord Acton, the British Catholic Historian) and click on the Search box to execute search. When the browse list appears, click on the heading Acton for a listing of publications in the Burns Library by or about Acton. To return to the browsing list from the list of Acton holdings, click on the Browse Search box. You can then continue to browse through the alphabetical listing of collections. (Note that the Local Collection Name index includes names of collections in other libraries than the Burns; however, the majority of entries are for Burns collections and provide a good overview of Burns collections. The Local Collection Name index is a new feature with entries that are undergoing review and correction.)
Printed Catalogs in the Burns Library
The Jesuit Collection in the John J. Burns Library of Boston College, compiled by John C. Stalker. [Boston]: Boston College Libraries, 1986. Z7840.J5 B67 1986
This work includes some 1250 titles of works by and about Jesuits for the first three centuries of the Society. The collection of Jesuitana has more than doubled since the work was published. Lists are available in the John J. Burns Library for some of our more recent acquisitions.
Boston College. Library. Catalogue of Books, Manuscripts, etc. in the Caribbeana Section (specializing in Jamaicana) of the Nicholas M. Williams Memorial Ethnological Collection. Chestnut Hill, Mass., Boston College Library, 1932. Z881.B741
Its division into geographical areas makes it a useful for the Caribbeana portion of the Williams collection. For access to lists of other items not cataloged see the Senior Reference Librarian, Burns Library.
Manuscript collections include the following areas: American Authors, Art and Architecture, Banking and Business, Boston Area Studies, British and British Catholic Authors, Caribbeana, Catholic Church and Catholic Spirituality, Irish and Irish Americans, Jesuitana, Liturgy and Life, Medieval Manuscripts, Nursing and Medical Ethics, Printing and Publishing, Ships and Seafaring, Theatre and Cinema.
For brief descriptions of these collections see the John J. Burns Library web page under John J. Burns Library. Special Collections. Manuscripts.
QUEST access
Most of the manuscript collections in the Burns Library are listed at the collection level in Quest, the Boston College online catalog. In order to view a list of the collections execute the following search: Select the Advanced Search mode and on the Advanced Search screen select from the box labeled Limit Search to Format the format Archives/Manuscripts. From the Location box, select All Libraries. Select from a Search Type box Keyword Anywhere and in the adjoining Search For box type the statement manuscripts or archive, then execute the search. This statement should bring up listings for some 239 collections displayed chronologically according to the dates of the material within the collections. ( Note: the list will also include manuscript collections on microfilm in the O’Neill Library.)
Searches can be made for individuals and also for subjects. To search for manuscripts by or about a person, follow the procedure described above and then type in the name of the person in the Search For box. For example, to find manuscripts by or about William Butler Yeats type William Butler Yeats into the Search For box. This should yield records of 5 collections containing material by or about the poet.
To search for a subject, again follow the procedure described above. For example, to find a listing of manuscripts pertaining to Irish or Ireland after limiting Format to Archives/Manuscripts , Location to All Libraries, and Search Type to Keyword Anywhere in the appropriate Search For box, type the statement Irish or Ireland. The search should yield a list of 85 manuscript collections pertaining to Irish or Ireland arranged chronologically according to the dates of the material within the collections.
The long view of the display screen gives a brief overview of the collection including information about its size collection and about the availability and level of finding aids.
Typed or printed finding aids:
For detailed finding aids to the various manuscript collections, see the Senior Reference Librarian , Burns Library.
Note: The important Francis Thompson manuscript collection has been analyzed in a series of card files available in the Reading Room of the Burns Library.
The Congressional Archives contain the papers of four former members of the U.S. House of Representatives. They include Edward P. Boland, Robert F. Drinan, Margaret Heckler and Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. former Speaker of the House.
For descriptions of these collections see the John J. Burns web page under John J. Burns Library. Special Collections.Congressional Archives
QUEST access
Brief descriptions of these collections are also available through the Quest online catalog. To find them execute the following search. Select Browse Search and in the box marked Select Index to Browse choose Local Collection Name, then in the box labeled Type Word or Phrase type in the statement Congressional Archive and click on Search. From the browse list that appears click on the phrase Congressional Archive. Records for each of the four Representatives whose papers are housed in the Burns will appear.
Typed or printed guides
John J. Burns Library. Thomas P. O'Neill Papers. Chestnut Hill, MA: John J. Burns Library, Boston College, 1997.
This illustrated brochure produced upon completing the processing of the Thomas P. O'Neill papers offers biographical highlights of the Speaker's career and a chronology of his life. A guide to the organization of the papers is followed by a brief summary of each of the major divisions. It is available in the John J. Burns Library, and a copy can be sent upon request.
For the Thomas P. O'Neill Papers a finding aid, detailed to the folder level, is available in the Burns Library. A finding aid is also available for the Drinan papers and a partial inventory for the Boland papers. The Heckler papers are currently under restriction.
John J. Burns Library | BC Libraries
John Atteberry
Senior Reference Librarian
John J. Burns Library
617) 552-4861
john.atteberry@bc.edu