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Maine Author Collection

Library: Maine State Library
Library Type: Other
Town: Augusta
County: Kennebec

Description of Collection:

On permanent display in the Maine Room is the Maine Author Collection of more than 10,000 volumes. This collection contains an outstanding representation of works of Maine authors, including those of Madame Sarah Wood of York (1759-1853) Maine's first woman novelist; the complete works of Jacob Abbott (1803-1879) of Hallowell, a pioneer writer of books for children; the historical writings of Jacob's brother John S.C. Abbott (1805-1877), as well as the fiction of two prolific writers of stories for boys, Elijah Kellogg (1813-1901) and James Otis Kaler (1848-1912). Also included are the works of contemporary authors, such as Kenneth Roberts, Stephen King and Carolyn Chute.

The idea of a Maine Author Collection originated with Henry Dunnack, a former State Librarian, who in the 1920's began to collect the literary works of Maine authors. For the purpose of this collection, a Maine author is broadly defined to include not only Maine natives but also those who have become Maine residents, or part-time residents and authors writing about Maine. A unique file of correspondence with many of the authors adds to the value and interest of the collection, as do inscriptions in many of the books.