BY JENNIFER RAE
The Nora Roberts Romance Collection is doing it’s part to keep romance alive… As anyone who has ever read a romance novel knows, romance is not just fun, it’s important. With high emotion, an exploration of deep issues and a resolution of love, romance novels allow readers to go on a journey that mirrors the highs and lows of life.
Romance novels are often about finding one’s place in the world and realising that love is a large part of that, helping you explore your need to decipher and understand love. This is no doubt part of the reason romance novels are so popular and why millions of titles are sold around the world every day.
So many are sold, in fact, that the Australian Romance Writers Association reports that almost 21.5 million romance novels were purchased in 2017.
While the Neilson Book report conducted in 2015 reported that 6% of buyers in the US purchase romance books more than once a week, and 15% do so at least once a week. Moreover, 25% of buyers read romance more than once a week, and nearly half do so at least once a week.
Romance remains a strong genre and, with the ongoing popularity of digital publishing, reader numbers are increasing.
Unfortunately, some titles are disappearing from public collections such as libraries, as the constant acquisition of new titles requires removing older works from the shelves.
Andrea Briggs is an archivist and special collections librarian at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. The college’s Hoover Library houses the Gothic Romance Lending Library and the Nora Roberts Centre for American Romance Collection.
Andrea Briggs is an archivist and special collections librarian at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. The college’s Hoover Library houses the Gothic Romance Lending Library and the Nora Roberts Centre for American Romance Collection.
Andrea Briggs is an archivist and special collections librarian at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. The college’s Hoover Library houses the Gothic Romance Lending Library and the Nora Roberts Centre for American Romance Collection.
Professor of English Pamela Regis, author of A Natural History of the Romance Novel, directs the Centre, and is president of the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance.
Nora Roberts is one of the world’s most successful romance writers and has sold more than 400 million copies of her books worldwide. The Nora Roberts American Romance Collection was established in 2011 and was made possible by generous gifts from the Nora Roberts Foundation.
As a prolific romance author, Nora Roberts set up the foundation to support literacy. The collection at McDaniel College is comprised of novels written by important romance writers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
“The mission of the collection is to provide a permanent place for these works, making them available to scholars by visiting the collection and through Interlibrary Loan, which even in the case of the most successful romance author often disappear from public collections,” explains Andrea.
The collection contains the complete works of Nora Roberts / J. D. Robb, RITA Award winning titles of American Romance, and selected works of other American Romance authors recommended by expert and scholar Dr. Pamela Regis.
The collection contains the complete works of Nora Roberts / J. D. Robb, RITA Award winning titles of American Romance, and selected works of other American Romance authors recommended by expert and scholar Dr. Pamela Regis.
The collection contains the complete works of Nora Roberts / J. D. Robb, RITA Award winning titles of American Romance, and selected works of other American Romance authors recommended by expert and scholar Dr. Pamela Regis.
The goal of the collection is to support not only casual readers of popular romance, but also to encourage scholarship in the genre.
Often, scholars in the genre or those doing a study of a particular author find it difficult to obtain copies of their older novels, so part of the mission of the collection is to make those available for research.
With the focus on RITA-award-winning works, Andrea and her team hope to cultivate a collection of popular romance novels which acts as a cross-section of the different subgenres for researchers to examine.
The custodians of the collection also hope to alter the perceived stigma around reading romance novels, especially in academia. They believe that these works are not only worthy of study, but crucial for understanding a major part of popular culture and literature.
From Jane Austen to Australia’s Rachael Johns, romance novels enable us to see life and experience culture with a focus on love and relationships that we otherwise may not have. This is not only entertaining to readers, but important for historians to understand.
Story telling has long been a way to help future generations experience life and love of times gone by and romance novels are wonderful way to do this. Andrea explains that acquisition of new titles is ongoing, with new titles added annually to the collection.
Currently, the custodians are working on purchasing the backlist of RITA-award-winning titles, from the first year of the award in 1982 to today. They also aim to increase the diversity of the collection by including novels from many different subgenres and authors.
By using the RITA as a major criterion on whether to purchase a title, they can also ensure that the works purchased for the collection represent the best of the best for romance that year.
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
Some of the authors in the collection include Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie, Judith Ivory, Judy Cuevas,Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Gaffney, Ann Herendeen, Joey Hill, Eloisa James, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Amanda Quick, Jayne Taylor, Alisa Kwitney, Alisa Sheckley, Laura London, Tom and Sharon Curtis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Mary Jo Putney, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Pam Rosenthal, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, LaVyrle Spencer. ♥
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