Dr. Bob’s Home
Library Online
Dr. Bob’s Home
Library Online
Dr. Bob's Personal Library Shared Online
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Dr. Bob’s
Online Library
Dr. Bob’s Online Library supports the third principle of the mission statement of Dr. Bob’s Home.
“… to educate the local community and beyond on how Dr. Bob’s home played a part in the formation of Alcoholics Anonymous and the manner in which alcoholics were helped in the early days.”
One need only look at books read by someone to get a sense of who they were.
Dr. Bob read voraciously; he often stayed up late and left piles of books all around 855 Ardmore. His interests ranged from Christianity to metaphysics. He had an extensive reading list, often recommending and sharing books. Bill noted Dr. Bob’s reading habits and library in a letter to Mel B:
“Unlike me he was a vast reader of spiritual and psychic literature. He had a vast library of it.”
In Dr. Bob’s collection, individuals will find a substantial inventory of books from the time period that were read and widely shared by Dr. Bob, Anne Smith, and the early pioneers of Alcoholics Anonymous in Akron, OH.
We have also reconstructed Dr. Bob’s collection of esoteric and metaphysical literature which occupied his interests later in life.
To supplement the original texts, we are offer an extensive collection of research texts related to the history of Alcoholics Anonymous and recovery in general.
The library holdings include:
– Books related to earlier movements addressing alcoholism: The Emmanual Movement, Temperance, and Prohibition.
– A broad selection of Oxford Group books and pamphlets.
– Books by Christian authors that were widely read by early AAs, including James Allen, Glen Clark, Henry Drummond, Emmet Fox, and Sam Shoemaker.
– Finally, books metaphysics, esoteric learnings, and Eastern thought, including books on Confucius, Eastern thought, histories of world religions, mysticism, and spiritual healing.
Dr. Bob’s books were as varied as his interests; however, they reflected his quest for greater spiritual understanding. From Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers:
“To the day [Dr. Bob] died, he felt that if he only had more spiritual understanding, some way or another he could pass this message on.”
From his books, we know that Bob was a seeker and he sought so that others might find.
The physical holdings of the library are housed in the AWE Center at 122 Everett Ave., directly adjacent to Dr. Bob’s Home.
Our hope is to have it open on Saturday and Sunday (12:00PM to 3:00PM) and by appointment. Although not a lending library, visitors and researchers are welcome to experience the content and the vast amount available to better understand the roots of the “greatest spiritual and social movement of the last century.”
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Contact Us
(330) 864-1935
Phones staffed Noon - 3 PM
Message service available
any other time.
Physical Address
855 Ardmore Avenue
Akron, OH 44302
Mailing Address
PO Box 449
Akron, OH 44309
Dr. Bob's Home, Gift Shop, and Library Hours
Dr. Bob’s Home, Gift Shop,
and Library are open
to visitors every day
from Noon – 3 PM
seven days a week
(except Christmas).
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