The Library's Radical Collection of materials on other communal and radical religious sects in America in addition to other special collections, provides context for the experience of the Shakers. The Shaker Library's collection of original and published materials includes books, archival manuscripts, ephemera, periodicals, scrapbooks, photographs, drawings, maps, oral histories, video and sound recordings, and microfilm of Shaker materials held in other libraries. This aspect of the Library has been built from the foundation of Elder Otis' original library of 191 items. Many of these books are not listed in available bibliographies. Books are cataloged according to The Library of Congress cataloging system.
Collection includes photographs, slides, postcards, and stereoviews.
This part of the collection represents most of the Shaker Communities but is strongest in Sabbathday Lake and Alfred, Maine materials. This collection grows weekly with the addition of 20th century items. The scrapbooks document the interests of individual Shakers and include clippings, brochures, poetry, correspondence, photographs, postcards, and greeting cards. Also included are cathedral records from Manchester, England, the birthplace of Anne Lee. Many of the maps are 19th century county and state maps showing locations of Shaker communities in various states.