Access to the KH Libary.

by jerome 7 Replies latest watchtower scandals

  • jerome
    jerome

    When you were a jw could you read any book that was in the kh libary any time you wanted?

    Are the book like

    "Millions Now living Will never Die"

    still to be found there at the kh and are they still in tact?

    Did the Watchtower change any of these such books when they reprinted them removing certain incrimnating quotations?

    How far back did the watchtowers and other publications that you had at your Kingdom Hall go back to?

    Did they go all the way to the early 1900's? Like 1902?

    Even if thees books were available did you ever find anything in them that you thought was strange?

    How often did you use them? If ever at all?

    Was the use of these books discouraged?

    Can you borrow any of the books, or even sneek one out without notice?

    thanks for any replys in advance...

    jerome

    The Bible is a two edged sword wield it for evil and it you may get hurt.

  • RR
    RR
    When you were a jw could you read any book that was in the kh libary any time you wanted?

    I have attended four congregations, two in New York, two in New Jersey. Both the ones in New York had extensive libraries, but I paid no mind to them because I wasn't interested.

    The first one in New Jersey had a VERY poor library, plenty of shelf space, if it wasn't for the Society reprinting the bound volumes, they wouldn't have anything.

    The last hall I was privy to, had most of the Watchtowers , the Watch Tower Reprints which contained 1879-1919 and most of the Watch Towers from 1920 to the present, alot of old booklets and books. They were willed to the congregation from an elderly sister who passed away.

    Are the book like "Millions Now living Will never Die" still to be found there at the kh and are they still in tact?
    There was a copy there on the shelf.

    Did the Watchtower change any of these such books when they reprinted them removing certain incrimnating quotations?
    Yes, there is evidence of these books being reprinted with chnages in them.

    How far back did the watchtowers and other publications that you had at your Kingdom Hall go back to?
    Early 1900s The Russell era, they even had a few Bible Student publications.

    Even if thees books were available did you ever find anything in them that you thought was strange?
    "Strange?" Nah, just surprised at all the flip flopping in doctrines and historical revisions.

    How often did you use them? If ever at all?
    I was always watched closely when I went into the library. This started me on my own collection, so that I didn't have to rely on the KH library.

    Was the use of these books discouraged?[/b]
    Big time. Oh, that old light!

    Can you borrow any of the books, or even sneek one out without notice?
    There was a time when you could borrow the books like a library, they stopped that practice, now their not even allowed outside of the library itself. Some Halls have their libraries behind glass doors that are locked, so to view any of the books you have to contact the elder with the key.
  • Amazing
    Amazing

    My first KH had a very extensive library ... some material dating back to Russell ... including the full set of Studies in the Scriptures.

    Generally in the late 1960s into the 1970s use of the KH library was encouraged ... and you could borrow a book easily ... I did it all the time. We eventually instituted a log-in and log-out so that we could trace down books borrowed.

    I recall minor discouragement at reading 'old light' because it was not current, and wuld not fit Jehovah's progressive will ... but many paid no attention to that and read old material anyway. I forget when exactly, but sometime in the 1980s onward, the use of the Library was confined to keeping books there ... and simply doing one's research at the KH.

    During the time I was leaving the organization, I had one of my children borrow ... sneak ... an old bound volume out so I could read and copy certain sections of the July 1943 Watchtower ... where the Society proclaimed inspiration ... and sometime later had it returned in the same manner ... I had to do this because if the Elders knew I was borrowing such information, they would not have allowed me or my family to have access, much less check-out a book.

  • taoInitiate
    taoInitiate

    Just before I left our congregation library servant was instructed, by a society letter it seems, to take out all "non-JW" literature from the library. This included the reprints of the "Studies in the Scriptures" by a non-JW source, and a few other older publications.

    About the same time a lot of other "older publications" were "lost". I was wondering if this "loss" of the older publications, such as older WT's and a lot of the Rutherford era books, was as a result of the same WT directive. I always had this sneaking suspicion that it was.

    taoInit

    "The limit of the unlimited is called 'fullness.'
    The limitlessness of the limited is called 'emptiness'." - Chuang Tzu
  • RR
    RR

    I remember a letter being read to the congregation from "mama" asking that certain publications be sent to Society HQ, these were mostly Russell/Rutherfod era books. I was later told by a former bethelite that the Society had a bon fire. I believe in conversation, Randy Watters confirmed this.

  • TheOldHippie
    TheOldHippie

    We have book dating all the time back to the first Millennium volumes, and Watchtowers from the 20s, and the library is open to all, no questions asked, so this question is a bit Big Brother Watching Me - like, is it not? Why there are restrictions to lending books out, is that they tend never to be returned. We have lost quite a few publications that way. We now have a book, a list, so as to be able to trace missing books. In the library is a copying machine and scanner, so people can copy and scan to the fullness of their heart. I have decorated the library with enlarged photos of Russell, Rutherford and other historic things, and it is appreciated.

  • larc
    larc

    Old Hippie,

    Where are you located? I would like to visit your library. Send me an email, if you don't want to post that information here.

  • GermanXJW
    GermanXJW

    Libraries in Germany usually start in 1945 (volumes). But there are also some Dawns, Photo-Dramas and some other older stuff inherited from older brothers.

    The conductor of the TMS is responsible for the library. I attended congregation where you could just pick a book, had to write your name in a list but there was also one where you had to read in the library and could not take the books home. The local congregation has a photo copier.

    But most people don't care about the old books - the new ones are boring enough.

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