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.