About this Journal

The Colby Quarterly was published from 1943 to 2003, providing a forum both for publicizing Colby’s rare books and manuscripts and for literary discussion. In its early years, the Quarterly, then named the Colby Library Quarterly, published lists and descriptions of books and manuscripts recently acquired by the Special Collections department of the Colby College Library. Articles included examinations of and excerpts from collections of manuscript correspondence. Articles were also solicited on Maine authors and Maine history, including books and authors that had influenced Maine life and letters, or were well represented in Colby’s Special Collections.

This facet of the Quarterly gradually expanded until the periodical was entirely devoted to articles on any aspect of literature in English, with some issues devoted to Classical literature and edited by members of the Classics Department. The special interest in Maine and regional history and literature was maintained, now including the neighboring provinces of Canada. Articles on writers such as Jewett, Hardy, James, Yeats, and Joyce, who are well represented in Special Collections, were published regularly.