Garnett Mystery Collection Opens for Circulation at Bracken Library

Visitors to Bracken Library’s first floor East will find a new resource – the Garnett Mystery Collection. The collection came to the University Libraries from Ball State’s Women’s Studies Program, to which it was donated in 1999. Transferring the collection to the University Libraries furthers the goals of the donor by offering greater public exposure to many female writers.

“Classic” works by Ellis Peters, Ngaio Marsh, P.D. James, Dorothy Gilman will be found in the collection alongside the more contemporary views of Donna Andrews, Laura Childs, Susan Wittig Albert, Laurie King, and others. The focus is on titles published in the United States since the 1970s.

The collection should appeal to students of relevant academic disciplines as well as casual readers in search of a good “whodunit.”

“There are literally hundreds of titles I didn’t know existed. There should be plenty to keep me happy through the winter,” said Cheryl Shull, a mystery buff.

Over 2,400 titles have been cataloged so far with about 600 titles in process. Paperback editions are receiving durable bindings. The Advanced Search mode in CardCat is also an excellent way to search the collection – choose “Garnett Mystery Collection, Bracken 1-East” from the drop-down box of locations.

Garnett Mystery Collection Comes to Ball State's University Libraries

A collection of almost 3,000 women-authored mystery novels was recently donated to Ball State University LIbraries. The Garnett Mystery Collection was originally donated to the Women's Studies Program in 1999 where it was housed in the Women's Studies Resource Center in the Burkhardt Building on the Ball State University campus.

Julee L. Rosser, Interim Director of the Women’s Studies Program, said, “The Garnett Mystery Collection offers unique research value. The members of the Women’s Studies Program are thrilled to share this resource with the community. We are thankful to the people at Bracken Library for all their work in transporting, cataloging, and everything else they are doing to make the collection available. We are also very grateful to the donor.”

When cataloging is complete, the volumes will be shelved together in an area on first floor of Bracken Library.

For more information, contact John B. Straw, Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections, JStraw@bsu.edu, 765-285-5078.