The Biblioteca William Mulloy (Spanish for ''William Mulloy Library''; in

Rapa Nui Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearly ...

, ''Hare Puka ko Wiliam Mulloy'') is a

research library A research library is a library which contains an in-depth collection of material on one or several subjects.(Young, 1983; p. 188) A research library will generally include an in-depth selection of materials on a particular topic or set of to ...

administered by the Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum on

(

Easter Island Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearl ...

) in

Chilean Polynesia Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearly ...

. Named for the late Dr. William Mulloy, an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

, the library’s collection focuses on

and Polynesian Studies, especially the

prehistory Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

ethnology Ethnology (from the grc-gre, ἔθνος, meaning 'nation') is an academic field that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural anthropology, cultural, social anthropolo ...

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

cultural anthropology Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans. It is in contrast to social anthropology, which perceives cultural variation as a subset of a posited anthropological constant. The portma ...

osteology Osteology () is the scientific study of bones, practised by osteologists. A subdiscipline of anatomy, anthropology, and paleontology, osteology is the detailed study of the structure of bones, skeletal elements, teeth, microbone morphology, funct ...

and

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

of Easter Island.

Mission

The mission of the Biblioteca William Mulloy is threefold. Firstly, the Library seeks to support the field work of archaeologists, anthropologists, linguists, ethnologists and other scholars who come to

for research purposes. Secondly, the Library promotes the conservation and study of the cultural patrimony of the

Rapa Nui people The Rapa Nui (Rapa Nui: , Spanish: ) are the Polynesian peoples indigenous to Easter Island. The easternmost Polynesian culture, the descendants of the original people of Easter Island make up about 60% of the current Easter Island population and ...

. Finally, the Library provides broad access within the island community to the best scholarly resources in

and Polynesian Studies.

Mulloy Collection

The collection of the Biblioteca William Mulloy includes books, journals, articles, archival materials, field notes, maps, photographs and audiovisual materials related to

. Dr.

William Mulloy William Thomas Mulloy Jr. (May 3, 1917 – March 25, 1978) was an American anthropologist. While his early research established him as a formidable scholar and skillful fieldwork supervisor in the province of Plains Indians, North American Plains ...

’s personal library forms the core of the collection. The Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum, the Chilean Directorate of Libraries, Archives and Museums (DiBAM), the

Easter Island Foundation The Easter Island Foundation is an American non-profit organization that promotes the conservation and protection of the fragile cultural heritage of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and other Polynesian islands through education. The foundation was created ...

and the Mulloy family have contributed to the original collection, more than doubling it in a short period of time. The library, located on the campus of the museum in the

Tahai The Tahai Ceremonial Complex is an archaeological site on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in Chilean Polynesia. Restored in 1974 by American archaeologist William Mulloy, Tahai comprises three principal ''ahu'' from north to south: Ko Te Riku (with res ...

district of the island, has climate-controlled stacks and a lecture hall, which accommodates approximately thirty persons.

Background

Shortly before his death in 1978, the renowned archaeologist,

, expressed the desire that his personal library, consisting of books, articles, reprints, field notes, maps, photographs and slides, find a permanent home on

in order to be of service to both specialized researchers coming to the island from abroad and to the general public. After his death, his widow, Emily Ross Mulloy, consigned the collection to Mario Correa,

Cultural Attaché A cultural attaché is a diplomat with varying responsibilities, depending on the sending state of the attaché. Historically, such posts were filled by writers and artists, giving them a steady income, and allowing them to develop their own creat ...

of the

Consulate General A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

Washington DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, who with the aid of Marilyn Pugh of

LanChile LATAM Airlines Group S.A. is an airline holding company headquartered in Santiago, Chile. It is considered the largest airline company in Latin America with subsidiaries in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru. The company filed for Ch ...

, transferred the library to mainland Chile. At the time, lack of satisfactory facilities on Rapa Nui did not favor the immediate transfer of library or archival materials. Instead, the collection was entrusted to the

. The Foundation maintained the library at the Fonck Museum in

Viña del Mar Viña del Mar (; meaning "Vineyard of the Sea") is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Often referred to as ("The Garden City"), Viña del Mar is located within the Valparaíso Region, and it is Chile's fourth largest city w ...

, hired a

librarian and placed the collection at the disposal of the public. In addition to its long-term financial support of the library, the

assisted with the relocation of Mulloy Library materials to the island when a suitable space was made ready on Museum premises. After its transfer from Viña del Mar, the Biblioteca William Mulloy opened on Rapa Nui in 2002 and was dedicated by Dr. Mulloy’s widow, Emily Ross Mulloy, Clara Budnik (Director of the DiBAM), and prominent members of the Rapa Nui community.

References

External links

Biblioteca William Mulloy

Father Sebastian Englert Anthropology Museum

Chilean Directorate of Libraries, Archives and Museums

Easter Island Foundation

Fonck Museum
{{Authority control Research libraries Archaeological collections Libraries established in 2002 2002 establishments in Chile 2002 establishments in Oceania Libraries in Chile Buildings and structures in Easter Island