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New Age Movements, Occultism, and Spiritualism Research Library(NAMOSRL)

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Collection number: MS-150-1

Scope and Contents

The origins of the New Age Movements, Occultism, and Spiritualism Research Library (NAMOSRL) can be traced back to 2004 when Guy Frost and Cliff Landis began discussing the preservation of hard to find and at risk Pagan periodicals. Cliff’s concept was called New Religious Movements Archival Library (NRMAL), and tasks were divided between the two with Cliff investigating the technological aspects as well as making the first contacts with publishers and Guy began creating a descriptive bibliography of potential resources that could be added to the project. Sadly, this project was abandoned in early 2005 for various reasons, but the idea remained in Guy’s mind of something that needed to be done. Guy had been acquiring resources for the project and although NRMAL was no more, has continued to do so. During the spring of 2013, Crystal Richardson, a Valdosta State University student, approached Guy with a request to be advisor to a new Pagan and Wiccan Society on the VSU campus. Saying yes, it was through working with the officers and members of this group that he was reminded of the need for students to access resources to assist in researching topics they were presenting at their sponsored events. This need, however, reached a pinnacle when Guy was lead to search and photocopy from his personal library articles, interviews, and mentionings in books of Starhawk for a student that was writing a paper on her. It was at this point that Guy realized his resources should be more accessible and preferably in an academic setting. In was not until 2015 that Guy approached Deborah Davis, the University Archivist, about donating all of the Pagan resources he had amassed as an archival collection. Deborah expressed great interest. For an archival collection to be rich in source materials it must contain more than just periodicals. This is where this Research Library departs from the original concept of NRMAL. The scope and breadth of the collection had to be expanded. As such, there are two parts of the collection: 1. records and papers of people and organizations that could and do stand alone as unique archival collections which will be described individually; 2. books, periodicals, study notes, and other ephemera collected to support its scope. This portion of the collection is divided into broad Library of Congress Subject Series. These series contain books, periodicals, and artifacts relating to their designated subjects. These subjects include: Antiquities/Mythology; Psychology; Parapsychology; Occult Sciences; Religions; Holidays and Cookery; Alternative Medicine; Women's Studies; Gardening/Herbology. These broad subjects expand into more specific topics as you explore the collection.

Dates

  • Acquired: 2016-03-22

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Biographical or Historical Information

Guy Frost was born August 31, 1965 in San Mateo, California to a Naval military family. His family moved to Jacksonville, Florida while he was still an infant when his father was transferred to Cecil Fields. If was after his father’s retirement that his mother longed for the country life she grew up in and at age 9, the family moved to a small six acre farmhouse located in Waynesville, Georgia, or simply the middle of nowhere. In the fall of 1984, Guy moved to Cleveland, Tennessee to attend Lee College, a private pentecostal liberal arts college. This school was chosen for the simple fact that Sherri Revels, a highschool classmate, constantly talked about Lee College and wanting to be in Lee Singers. Lee College sounded like a good plan and there would be someone there that he knew, and, thinking like most teenagers, it was in the opposite end of the state from his family. Growing up Southern Baptist, witnessing isle dancing and speaking in tongues was a bit of a culture shock. His stay at Lee College was for a little over one year before moving to Valdosta, Georgia to attend Valdosta State College in 1986. But Lee College left an indelible impression on his mind and the experience of Godness. While attending the required convocations (4 times a week then), he sensed a difference in the atmosphere, a noticeable change in the environment when everyone a stadium full of people began to pray out loud. If left Guy yearning to understand, but he also knew Christianity was not where to find the answer. Guy would graduate from Valdosta State College in 1990 with a bachelor of Music Education. In that same year, he began working as Circulation staff and entered the Graduate Program. He would graduate in 1994 with a Master of Music Education. It was while working in Circulation that his supervisor, Sherrida Crawford, suggested becoming a Music Librarian. With the kernel of thought in mind, he resigned from Circulation, worked with the Governor’s Honors Program (GHP) that summer of 1995 as a Media Specialist before moving to Tallahassee, Florida to work on a Master of Library Science (1996) with that intent. He finished his education pursuits with an Education Specialist (Ed.S) in 1998 in Information Studies. Buy this time, he was a cataloger for the Florida Memories project under the Bureau of Records Management, State of Florida. Guy was in his element and was not in a hurry to leave. However, Dr. George Gaumond phoned him at work to see if he knew that a position was open at Valdosta. He did not (he was looking of Music Librarian positions only), but he applied because of his experience working at Valdosta. He was rehired on the faculty of the Library in the same year, first as the Electronic Resources Librarian before moving to Government Documents after a few months. His positions in the Odum Library constantly evolved, mostly out of necessity with changes in the University System. When Katherine Johnson, the Serials Librarian, retired, Guy was asked to absorbed her responsibilities and relinquish his duties in Reference. Guy had previously suggested to the administration that with the addition of cataloging of Government Documents, splitting his current position into two people (Public Service and Technical Services) would be ideal. Katherine’s retirement allowed that to happen. It was in Government Documents and cataloging that Guy accepted interns. One in particular was Cliff Landis. Cliff was currently a distance education student at Florida State University living in Valdosta working on a Master of Library and Information Science degree. Cliff made an impression on the Reference faculty while interning and would later be hired on faculty in the Reference Department. It was through conversations with Cliff as colleague that he invited Guy to study Faerie Faith under him. Guy eager to explore and learn more accepted without hesitation. Beginning late summer 2004 to 2009, Guy studied under Cliff Landis, being officially initiated into the Faerie Faith February 15, 2008. Guy is active in the Georgia Library Association, NACO/SACO programs of the PCC and in 2012 traveled to Belize to teach the Belizean librarians RDA as part of COBEC.

Note written by Guy Vernon Frost

Extent

27 Boxes

2 items

5 Digital links

Language

English

Abstract

Contains individual archival collections (described separately), books, periodicals, ephemera, paraphernalia, and research notes related to New age movements, occultism, magic and witchcraft, personal transformation, astrology, spiritualism, and shamanism.

Arrangement

Box 23 is skipped and does not exist.

Source of Acquisition

Guy Frost

Method of Acquisition

signed deed of Gift for New Age Movements, Occultism and Spiritualism Research library, signed by Guy Frost

Appraisal Information

Open Collection.  A folder with the finding aid is in the Director's file cabinet labeled Frost, Guy, Pagan, New Age

Title
Archon Finding Aid Title
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Revision Statements

  • 2020-05-27: Revised for DACS compliance by Douglas Carlson

Repository Details

Part of the Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Valdosta State University Archives, Odum Library
1500 N. Patterson St.
Valdosta GA 30601 United States
7063728116
229-259-5055 (Fax)