McLauchlan Library

Realizing the necessity of a library for the new College, President Jones initiated moves in 1890-91 to collect books and magazines. Because of John McLauchlan's interest in the founding of the College, Jones and other friends of the founder named the library for him.

During the first year, McLauchlan Library included “quite a good selection of books to be kept for the use of the students.” Patrons of the College had contributed money “with which a number of choice books have been placed on the shelves. 'Tis hoped the presentation of books, periodicals, etc., will continue until there is no lack in this important department”. Primarily, the Library depended on gifts of books or money to increase its holdings. Because of its dependence on voluntary contributions by the friends of the College, the Library contained only 1,000 volumes in 1904, compared to 500 for Galloway Female College and 9,000 for Hendrix College.

Until Old Main burned in February, 1914, the McLauchlan Library was usually included in a visitor's tour of the building, along with the Concert Hall, Dining Room, Chapel, Science Museum, Art Room, and Girls' Society Halls.

From 1905 to 1915, McLauchlan Library made modest progress. When the Committee on Administration began directing the affairs of the College in 1904, the Library had a “small but well-chosen collection of standard works”. Taking a new interest in reading, in 1908 students realized the “necessity of even a better library.” Because of the books and a “large number of the best magazines in the library,” the seats were “usually all taken at accessible hours," a fact “that speaks in the highest terms of the students!”. In November, 1908, the College Sunday School donated its accumulated funds for furnishings for the Library. In 1909, the Library permitted students to check out books if they had paid a fee of $2.00 to guarantee the safe return of any books borrowed; however, the Library refunded the fee at the close of the year if no books belonging to the Library remained charged to the student. In 1910, the Library established the practice of staying open “during the entire day that students may use to advantage any spare moments they may have” to develop the reading habit.

Perhaps this practice accounts for the success of the Faculty Reception in January that doubled as a Book Reception for the McLauchlan Library. The faculty collected over 300 volumes, as each guest donated one book “as a memorial to the literary taste of the donor”. Containing about 2,000 volumes in 1910-11, exclusive of pamphlets and Congressional documents, the Library subscribed to more than 20 of the “best periodicals” kept on file in the Reading Room: Harper's Monthly; The Ladies Home Journal; Literary Digest; Chautauquan; Munsey; Youth's Companion; Saturday Evening Post; Century; Popular Mechanics; Everybody's; Success; Cosmopolitan; Putnam's Reader; Etude; Delineator; Technical World; American Boy; Our Dumb Animals; The Epworth Era; Western Methodist; Children's Visitor; Arkansas Daily Gazette; Baptist Advance; Christian Standard; Christian Advocate; The Veteran; and School and Home. In 1915, the Library had about 5,000 volumes in addition to pamphlets.

To help defray their expenses at the College, several girls served as librarians during this time, but no person trained in library work had yet joined the staff. McLauchlan Library remained largely a reading room; it still depended on donations of books and cash for its expansion.

Long since forgotten by the 1920s, the name McLauchlan Library had been buried all too soon with the debris from the fire at the foot of the pine grove on the west campus.