Rebuilding the Dickinson’s Library
As Dickinson scholar Polly Longsworth once noted:
“Books were a source of pride, pleasure, discussion, and even competitiveness among family members. Few possessions meant so much.”
Now, the Emily Dickinson Museum is inviting you to become a part of literary history. We have officially relaunched Replenishing the Shelves, a unique, participatory collections initiative that asks book lovers around the world to help track down and reunite the exact book editions that once filled the Dickinson household.
You might be wondering: where did all the original books go?
Books from the Homestead and The Evergreens libraries that had close association with the poet became the gifted property of Harvard University in 1950. The remainder of the libraries of both houses was transferred in the early 1990s to the John Hay Library at Brown University.
Because these original collections are beautifully preserved and largely intact within these prestigious institutional archives, the Emily Dickinson Museum knows the exact titles, publishers, and publication years of the books the family owned. But it also means the shelves back at the Homestead in Amherst have some empty spaces.
The Museum’s goal? To find those exact matching editions and bring them back to the rooms where they were first read and cherished.
Incredible discoveries are happening in the most unexpected places.
Take Ashtyne Wallingsford from Portland, Texas. A self-described lifelong “book nerd,” Ashtyne has always been drawn to old classics, first editions, and books bearing personal inscriptions. Recently, she made a casual stop at a local garage sale and noticed a box of older books. Tucked inside were two copies of Saxe Holm’s Stories (first series) by Helen Hunt Jackson, published in 1886.
Intrigued by her find, Ashtyne began researching the author and publication year online. Her digital deep-dive led her straight to the Emily Dickinson Museum’s Replenishing the Shelves list, where she realized the book she had found might be something more than a personal treasure.
After double-checking the edition to ensure it was the correct year, she reached out to the Museum’s Collection Manager, Megan Ramsey. Through photographs, the Museum confirmed that this was indeed a specific edition they had been hunting for.
Though Ashtyne hadn’t originally intended to give the book away, the thought of returning it to its historic home changed everything. “Letting it be part of shared knowledge felt really important,” she said. “I feel grateful that I was able to provide this to the Museum and contribute to better understanding history.”
When Ashtyne later traveled to Amherst to visit the Museum, she got to do something most history buffs only dream of: walking into Emily Dickinson’s fully restored bedroom and personally placing the book on the shelf right next to the poet’s bed.
A momentous return: the donated volume returned to the reconstructed shelves right beside Emily Dickinson’s bed layout inside the historic Homestead.
“Getting to place the book on the shelf in Dickinson’s bedroom felt crazy,” Ashtyne shared. “Knowing that something I donated is right there next to her bed… I’m speechless.”
Your Invitation to Replenish the Shelves
Stories like Ashtyne’s underscore the beating heart of this project: history is not only preserved by large institutions, but through the vital support of passionate individuals. By reuniting books in Dickinson’s home, the Museum continues to build a living, evolving collection.
The project originally launched in 2007 to honor Polly Longsworth, the first chair of the Museum’s Board of Governors. This exciting relaunch coincides with recent digital collections upgrades at the Museum and has received significant additional support through a generous gift from Charles and Polly Longsworth. Thanks to these new digital search tools, it is now easier than ever for the public to see exactly which titles are missing, how to identify the correct editions, and how to donate them.
The next time you are browsing a thrift shop, an estate sale, or even your own family’s attic, keep your eyes peeled. You might just find a treasure that belongs on Emily Dickinson’s bedside table.