For our first post of the new year, we would like to announce that we have agreed to sell off a friends personal library.Mention was made previously here regarding a visit made to my brother-in-law's father's inherited library. I've visited this library before but had not had the opportunity to browse it as extensively as I have recently. Well, this past weekend we came to an agreement on selling the library. I've been looking for another opportunity like this for a while now. He's been trying to figure out how to proceed with selling the library. So, here we go!!! : )
History of the Library:
Some of the details are sketchy, but here is what I have learned, so far. The library was passed down from the late Mr. Frank Sells, preacher and Bible teacher. Mr. Sells was born in the early 1900's and died in his 90's about 5 years ago. He built his own library by searching out used bookstores as he worked a preaching circuit throughout the New England area. From what I have gathered his own library was about 2,000 volumes strong.At some point, later in his life, he purchased the library of a deceased preacher-friend named Cannoy (sp?). This purchase added about 6,000 volumes to his library.
Not long after that, he purchased the library of another deceased preacher-friend by the name of John McCormick.
All in all, the library contains about 10,000 volumes. Mr. Sells' desire was to start a small Bible Institute at the church he attended. That dream was never fulfilled and the books have remained mostly unused for the past 10 years. Some had been in storage for a while, but all are out and on shelves now. We are working on cataloging the books, and organizing them.
Overview: So, you may be wondering, "What sort of books are in this library?" The library is a thoroughly religious library. Each of these men were conservative, Calvinistic preachers/teachers. The books range in age from 10-200 years old.
Commentaries:There are a number of commentaries per book of the Bible, with some duplicates. Many of the Klock & Klock reprints; many full sets (Calvin, EBC, Expositor's Greek Test.; Gill's Comm's; K & D on the OT and others); many Banner of Truth; many CLASSICS.
Theological Works: There is an excellent selection of systematic theologies (Hodge, Shedd, Cunningham, Chafer, Hoeksema, Calvin, Berkhof, etc.), and many smaller theological volumes. There is are stacks of works on Christology (Hengstenberg, for instance), many on Calvinism, and about five 3.5 foot shelves on Eschatology.
Many works by G. Campbell Morgan, James Stalker, F.W. Farrar, W.H. Griffith Thomas, and others. The Works of Wesley.
Theological Dictionaries, Lexicons, Bible Dictionaries, Bibles, Encyclopedias, etc.
Biographical Works: Sorry, I "robbed" some great titles from here, but there are still about 50-75 more good biographies. There are also a number of works on Bible Characters (Alexander Whyte, F.B. Meyers, etc.).
There are a number of works on Paul and the 1st Century, Missions, Pastoral Theology, Homiletics, and more.....
In weeks to come, I will be posting some of these volumes and sets for sale. Please keep watching. And, PLEASE, let me hear from you. The library is about 2 hours away from me, so I do not have instant access, but will be making periodic visits, bringing books back to my house.
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