Nease Library – Preserving the Legacy

The announcement of closure brought about many activities of transition and care for transferring students, completing students, and the employees of Eastern Nazarene College. Beyond the care for the community of people at ENC, nothing has likely garnered more attention and tender loving care than the contents of Nease Library. These efforts have been spearheaded by ENC Director of Library Services Amy Hwang, with the help of faculty, staff, graduate assistants, and a host of volunteers.

Amy Hwang, Director of Library Services

For many weeks now, a team of employees and volunteers have been organizing the contents for distribution. A primary concern was the ENC Archives. These historic materials have been cared for and added to over the decades by several archivists. It was vital for these precious pieces of history to be preserved for research and the telling of the beautiful 125-year-old story of Eastern Nazarene College. Nazarene Archives, led by Archivist Ryan Giffin, has received these materials, and they are now carefully stored under his care in the Nazarene Archives section of Subtropolis in Kansas City, Missouri — known as the world’s largest underground business complex.

(ENC archives)

ENC’s Nease Library was also the home of the J. Glenn Gould Holiness Collection. Thanks to pastors Dennis Scott and Jeremy D. Scott, these items have been transported to Nazarene Theological Seminary for care and continued use within the Church of the Nazarene.

(Scotts at NTS)

The Archives and Gould Collection, of course, are just the tip of the iceberg of the thousands of volumes contained in Nease Library. Five international colleges in the Church of the Nazarene will receive a total of 12,000 books. Campus Kinder Haus has received a significant grouping of children’s books and materials. Notable contributions have also happened, or will happen, with local Boston-area colleges, public libraries and non-profit organizations. It has been the intent of all to preserve the history of ENC appropriately and distribute the collection to organizations that will continue their use.

“ENC is thankful for the dedicated leadership of Amy Hwang and her work to bless so many others through the ENC library resources. It has been a joy to see some good come out of the disappointment of closing,” said ENC President Colleen Derr.