Greenwood Library
Special Collections
Anhui Collection
In 2007, Greenwood Library was the recipient of books from Anhui University of Technology in Ma’anshan, China. This collection, in both Chinese and English, consists of classic Chinese literature including Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en; Three Kingdoms, attributed to Luo Guanzhong; and Dream of Read Mansions by Cao Wuequin and Gao E. The collection also includes pictorial works illustrating China’s antiquities including paintings, sculptures, porcelain, calligraphy, and wood working.
Droessler Collection
This collection of Alice in Wonderland books was donated to Greenwood Library in memory of Carol S. Droessler (Longwood Class of 1950) and presented to Longwood University by her husband, Dr. Earl Droessler of Raleigh, North Carolina, in the spring of 1999. The collection consists of numerous and various editions of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland including versions in pop-up format and versions written in different languages. The collection also includes biographies about Lewis Carroll and several of the book’s well-known illustrators.
Edward Gorey Collection
Edward Gorey (1925-2000) was a writer, illustrator and designer whose distinctive drawings combined with a morbid wit and a taste for the bizarre earned him a reputation as a rather eccentric individual who produced unusual publications. Gorey’s works are unique graphic creations that are a fascination to all who view them.
Ellen Glasgow Collection
Ellen Glasgow was born in Richmond, Virginia, on April 22, 1873. In 1897, at 24 years of age, she published her first novel, The Descendant. With this novel Glasgow began a literary career encompassing four and a half decades and comprising 20 novels, a collection of poems, one of stories, and a book of literary criticism. Her autobiography, A Woman Within, was published posthumously in 1954.
Faculty Publications
This collection showcases books that have been written by Longwood faculty and administrators over the past one hundred years. The oldest title dates back to 1908 when Columbia University Press published Arithmetical Abilities and Some Factors Determining Them by Dr. Cliff Winfield Stone.
Inscribed Books Collection
This collection includes books that have been inscribed by the authors, but that do not fit into any of the Library’s other special collections categories.
Mary Johnston Collection
Mary Johnston was an American novelist and women's rights advocate from Virginia. She was one of America's best selling authors during her writing career and had three silent films adapted from her novels.
Rare Book Collection
The treasures in this collection are unique—some because they are signed, some because of their illustrations, some because they are first editions of classics, and some because they are no longer available in print but have enduring value.
Virginia Authors Collection
This collection includes works by Virginia authors – authors born in Virginia, authors who live in Virginia and authors who have lived in Virginia at the time of writing. Although the collection consists of classic works by authors such as Ellen Glasgow, Mary Johnston, and James Branch Cabell, it is continually enriched through the addition of contemporary publications. Greenwood Library attempts to obtain two copies of each book—a circulating copy available for personal reading and research purposes, and one copy for the Special Collections Room.
Virginiana Collection
This collection contains works pertaining to the Commonwealth of Virginia. These include books concerning the history of Virginia, biographies of noteworthy Virginians, and works of fiction in which Virginia is the setting or subject.