David Horne Speaks to Rotary

Tory DeFazio introduced guest speaker, David Horne, Head Librarian, Archives & Manuscripts, for the John J. Burns Library at Boston College. As he explained, Boston College is not in Boston (It’s in Newton) and it’s not a college (It’s a university). The “University Height’s” campus opened in 1913, fifty years after the College was founded, to educate the children of Irish immigrants. He described the library system and the origin of the Burns Rare Books and Special Collections “for original research from original sources.” The collection includes the original manuscript from Thompson’s “The Hound of Heaven”, many British Catholic authors (Belloc, G.K. Chesterton and Newman), “The Highway Man” by poet, Alfred Noyes and, author, Graham Greene. Part of his responsibility as Head Librarian is to raise funds to purchase available collections. He described the process for bidding, “a real game.” Success has made the Burn’s Library well known for its Irish collection. “Ireland is a literary land” and he cited many authors in their collection—G.B. Shaw; W.B.Yeats; Samuel Becket among others. The Library makes needed repairs on damaged books and uses the latest in technology to increase knowledge and make learning available. They are becoming strong in the science area as well as housing records from many Boston area professional groups. They house the BC Archives as well.

 

David Horne, Librarian at the Boston College Burns Library, was honored by Rotary Club of Wellesley President Mitch Freeman with a Certificate of Appreciation for his remarks to the Rotary Club: