Mennonite Historical Library
One of the world’s most comprehensive collections related to Anabaptist and Mennonite history
On June 13, 1906, the Alumni Association of Goshen College passed a resolution to establish a Mennonite Historical Library (MHL). The collection grew slowly, occupying only three shelves in the college library by 1927. About this time Harold S. Bender and Ernst Correll revived the Mennonite Historical Society and through it began a campaign to collect Anabaptist-Mennonite historical materials. The acquisition of the John F. Funk library in 1930 and the major part of the historical collection from the Mennonite Publishing House at Scottdale, Pennsylvania, in the 1940s greatly enriched the collection. The latter, maintained as a memorial to the Mennonite historian John Horsch, is particularly rich in Reformation materials.
The library includes bibliographies, texts and images on topics related to the Radical Reformation, the Anabaptists, Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish and various related groups.
Regular hours
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Access to the library may change during holidays, semester mid-term and final breaks. The Library Gallery is open whenever the main college library building is open. See here for library building hours.
We encourage off-campus researchers to contact us in advance of visits. Additional hours may be available for researchers. Additional information on special hours, facilities, fee structures, and access policies is posted here.
Location
We are located on the 3rd floor of the Good Library on the campus of Goshen College (Goshen, Indiana).
Contact information
Staff Directory
Phone: (574) 535-7418
Fax: (574) 535-7438
Email: mhl@goshen.edu
See the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism to read about our current program initiatives.
Search Holdings
Click here to begin your search of our online catalog.
The default search setting currently returns results from many places (“Libraries worldwide”). By clicking on “Availability” for any specific work, users first will see information listed about copies available at the Mennonite Historical Library. If you want to search only for materials in the MHL collection, select “Mennonite Hist Library” from the “Libraries to search box” beside the purple Goshen College MHL symbol near the top of the page.
Many items in our collection are available for use only within the library itself. These are designated as “Library Use” in Availability. Other items, designated as “Local Loan” in Availability, are probably not available for interlibrary loan. We welcome all users to visit our collection and make use of materials on-site. In general, the Mennonite Historical Library does not make photocopies or reproductions of entire works.
Texts and Bibliographies
Harold S. Bender, The Anabaptist Vision (1943)
In December 1943, Mennonite historian and theologian Harold S. Bender delivered a presidential address to the American Society of Church History entitled “The Anabaptist Vision.” This address is a classic statement of key Anabaptist-Mennonite convictions.
John D. Roth, ed. Refocusing a Vision: Shaping Anabaptist Character in the 21st Century (Mennonite Historical Society, 1995)In the fifty years since Harold Bender delivered his presidential address to the American Society of Church History, The Anabaptist Vision has become a focal point for renewal and identity within the Mennonite church. In this collection of essays, six young Mennonite leaders offer their insights on the continued relevance of The Anabaptist Vision for the church in the 21st century.
Mennonite Confessions of FaithMennonite Life Bibliography (an annual listing of recent publications on Anabaptist, Mennonite, Amish and Hutterite topics from the collections of several North American Mennonite historical libraries)
Anabaptist Primary Sources Available in Translation (1990, English and Spanish)
Mennonite and Amish Folklore Folk Art (Bibliography by Ervin Beck)
Mennonite/s Writing Bibliographies (comprehensive list of literary writing done by Mennonite writers in North America in English)
Conscientious Objectors & the Draft: A Small Bibliography of Materials Available in the Mennonite Historical Library
The Hartzler Collection
The Jesse D. Hartzler Collection is owned by the Good Library and housed in the rare book room of the Mennonite Historical Library on the campus of Goshen College.
The collection contains 3,106 musical books with a strong emphasis on American nineteenth century hymnody. The books are broadly classified into 20 categories. A list of the categories and a description of their contents follows. Most of the titles appear in the Goshen College Library’s online catalog.
- On Hymns and Hymn Writers
This section contains 625 books about hymns and written from 1709 until 1976. - Sabbath School Tune Books
This section contains 231 Sunday school songbooks. Most are oblong and were published between 1838 to 1897. There is a substantial collection of songbooks by William Bradbury. Other popular authors or compilers include Asa Hull, John Kurzenknabe, Robert Lowry, William Odgen, Tullius OÕKane, Theodore Perkins, Phillip Phillips, George Root, and Horace Waters. - Hymnals: Denominational and Standard
This section contains 175 denominational hymnals published between 1800 to 1966. Although a number of denominations are represented, Methodist and Baptist hymnals tend to dominate. - Hymn Books with Words Only
This section contains 166 psalters and hymnals without tunes. Most of the books were published between 1714 and 1892; however there are a few early twentieth century books as well. In addition to a number of Methodist hymnbooks, there are numerous copies of Asahel NettletonÕs Village Hymns for Social Worship, Sebastian StreeterÕs New Hymn Book, and Isaac WattsÕ Psalms of David. - Spirituals (Words Only)
This section contains 42 books published between 1800 and 1879. Some of the books are by Peter Myers, Henry Smith, and John Totten. - Spirituals with Tunes
This section contains 51 books published between 1786 and 1890 with a couple of twentieth century books. In this section the books range from J. W. Dadmun’s Melodeon to Joseph HillmanÕs Revivalist to Asa HullÕs Sacred Harp to Joshua LeavittÕs Christian Lyre to a 1786 print of Isaac WattsÕ Psalms of David. - Class Books
This section contains 443 mostly oblong songbooks mostly used in schools. Chronologically, the books range from Artemas Johnson’s Empire Collection published in 1800 to Judge Jackson’s Colored Sacred Harp published in 1934. Various authors include Benjamin Baker, William Bradbury, Luther Emerson, Thomas Hastings, Daniel Hodges, Artemas Johnson, Jacob King, George Kingsley, Charles Leslie, Leonard Marshall, Horatio Palmer, Henry Perkins, William Perkins, Ransom Randall, George Root, Solomon Straub, and Virgil Taylor. - Lowell Mason
This section contains 90 books by Lowell Mason published between 1818 and 1872. - I.B. Woodbury Books
This section contains 32 books by I. B. Woodbury published between 1848 to 1859. - Sermons on Church Music: Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century
This section contains 9 books with sermons. Three are from the seventeenth century, two from the eighteenth century, and three from the nineteenth century, as well as others. - Sacred Quartette and Choir Books and Church in Large Volumes
This section contains 42 large books published from 1800 to 1966. This section includes books such as Samuel HolyokeÕs Columbian Repository from 1800 and Henry WilsonÕs Quartettes of 1861. - Pamphlet Material
- Reports of Church-Wide Mennonite Music Conference
- Shaped Noted and Other Unconventional Forms of Notes to Aid Untrained Persons to Read Syllables
This section contains 78 books variable forms of notation from cipher notes to shaped notes. These books range from Andrew Law’s Select Harmony of 1779 to other notable books by William Little, John Wyeth, Jesse Aiken, Amos Hayden, Samuel Wakefield, William Walker, Thomas Weber, Benjamin White, and John Winebrenner. - Eighteenth Century and Others
This section contains 55 books. Although the heading suggests that most books are from the eighteenth century, the majority of books in this section are from the early nineteenth century. This section contains works mostly by previously
mentioned authors. - Psalm Books
- Secular Music, Etc.
- Negro Melodies
- Gospel Song Books
- Miscellaneous
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is my old book worth?
- Who are the Amish?
- Who are the Hutterites?
- Who are the Mennonites?
- What is my old book worth?
- The Mennonite Historical Library frequently gets questions regarding old books and especially old Bibles.
These questions fall into several categories:
- Is anyone interested in this book?
- How much is this book worth?
- How can I best preserve this book?
The answers to these questions can be simple or very complex depending on the items in hand. Many factors go into determining the value of old books, including condition and rarity. Old books can remain in extremely good condition if they have been stored carefully. If a book has spent several generations in hot attics or damp basements it may be in poor condition. The value of old Mennonite books more often tends to be historical or sentimental rather than monetary.
The MHL can offer an assessment of the condition and significance of books as they relate to Anabaptist-Mennonite groups . Accurate assessments require on-site examination of the items. (Check with us in advance to make sure the proper staff members will be available. We cannot provide formal monetary appraisals. Although we are not professional conservators, we can provide some basic information on what steps may be beneficial or detrimental in preserving historical items.
The MHL continues to add both new and old items to our collection. Sometimes the tattered little booklet you have is one we need. We are happy to look at twenty books we do not need in order to find one which may be important to us. We are also glad to suggest other collections which may be able to use the items we already have represented in ours. A helpful web site answering many common questions is Your Old Books, prepared by The Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries. The late Peter VanWingen (a Mennonite) authored an earlier version of the text.
Another helpful article, What Is That Old Bible Worth?, appeared in The Bible Collector, the journal of the International Society of Bible Collectors, No. 54, April-June 1978. Written by the late Arnold Ehlert, we originally posted it on our website with the permission of the Society’s president at the time, Mennonite pastor Gerald C. Studer.
Who are the Amish?
- Amish of Northern Indiana
- Amish Studies (Young Center, Elizabethtown College)
Who are the Hutterites?
Who are the Mennonites?