We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Horatio Alger Society for selecting Northern Illinois University Libraries as the official permanent repository library for the Society. We are proud of being the ones who will work closely with the Society in "furthering the philosophy of Horatio Alger, Jr. and to encourage the spirit of Strive and Succeed that epitomizes the Great American Dream."
Northen Illinois University (NIU), founded in 1895, is a
state-assisted coeducational institution of approximately
25,000 students. As a comprehensive university, NIU engages
in instruction, research, and professional service in a
variety of fields.
Northern Illinois University capitalizes on its DeKalb, Illinois location, which is situated close enough to Chicago to draw upon and contribute to the cultural and intellectual richness of one of nation's largest metropolitan areas. NIU has offered work leading to graduate degrees since 1951 and the university currently offers graduate study in more than 85 academic majors in approximately 130 areas of study.
The Northern Illinois University Libraries system consists of Founders Memorial Library, branch libraries which include Faraday Library, the Lorado Taft Instructional Material Library, the Map Library, the Music Library, the Hoffman Estates Education Center and the Northern Illinois Regional History Center. The University Libraries System contains more than 1.8 million volumes as well as periodicals, government publications, microfilms, maps, recordings, and audio-visual materials.
NIU Libraries is a participant in Illinet Online (I/O), a network involving more than 800 academic, public and specialized libraries throughout Illinois. We are also a member of the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). Through OCLC and [the] Internet, libraries all over the world can access NIU Libraries' unique collections.
The University Libraries has a long history of interest in collecting Horatio Alger works. Of Alger's 117 books, the NIU Libraries hold 104 titles in a group made from various purchases and donations.
There are several other small groups of books in the University Libraries written during the so-called "American Hero Era" of 1870 to 1910--books by Oliver Optic (William Taylor Adams), Henry Castlemon (Charles Fosdick), Gilbert Patten, John Goldfrap and the Stratemeyer Syndicate psuedonyms ("Victor Appleton," "Clarence Young," etc.).
In addition, the NIU libraries hold a unique collection: Albert Johannsen's own collection of Beadle & Adams dime novels, along with other popular literature of the 19th century to complement the Horatio Alger collection. These collections comprise the major portion of a burgeoning assemblage of popular and juvenile literature that appeared during the latter half of the 19th century and early decades of the present century.
The Horatio Alger Society has selected the best site for the permanent repository, which is dedicated primarily to building a complete collection of the works by and about Horatio Alger, Jr. and preserving examples of all of the writings of Horatio Alger, Jr. for potential use in the research and continuation of the development of the American Dream.
The current collections of works by and about Horatio Alger, Jr. are housed in the Rare Books and Special Collections area at Founders Memorial Library. They are available and accessible for examiniation and research purposes all year-round. The library's service hours for this special area are Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Special arrangements may be requested by scholars and researchers beyond these hours. Write to: University Libraries, Northen Illinois University, DeKalb IL 60115-2868.
Northern Illinois University Libraries has made the following commitments
in supporting the Horatio Alger Society repository:
Reprinted from the May/June 1994 Newsboy