.Mjky.MjM0MQ

February 26, 1957 Mr. Bernard H. Porter 6621 California Street San Francisco 21, California Dear Mr. Porter: It is a pleasure to be able to acknowledge again a shipment from you destined for inclusion in the Thank you for your interest Maine Author Collection. and care in the matter. Some of your questions can be answered, but perhaps The Maine to others there are no satisfactory answers. Author Collection was started more than twenty-five years ago by the State Librarian at that time, Dr. Henry E. Dunnack, who believed th8t there should be in the state a place where all the work of all Maine authors was Building up the collection was permanently available. As we could afford it, we bought gradual, necessarily. the works of deceased authors; we were able to interest contemporary writers in inscribing and presenting their books, with only a few exceptions. Although the collection is as comprehensive as we The can make it, it is nevertheless an informal one. books are intended as a permanent exhibit, and are not subject to lending, but are always here in the library, where they may be studied at any time the library is Casual visitors are interested, sutdents working open. on some phase of Maine literature, and we are happy to have the books used in this way. No count has been made of the number of authors Your question raises an interesting represented. point, and when we can find the time, we think we An estima.te is three or four should like to know. hundred, and that ls a conservative estimate.

�