Care to add 150,000 titles to your TBR list?
The former College of Saint Rose’s expansive library collection, which includes antique Bibles and publications from the 1600s, is up for sale.
Albany County is seeking proposals from people or organizations interested in buying the former Albany college’s Neil Hellman Library collection, Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy announced Monday, Feb. 9, in a Facebook post.
McCoy said the collection features up to 150,000 items, including sheet music, DVDs, academic periodicals, 17th-century publications and antique Bibles.
The estimated value of the collection was not listed.
In his post seeking proposals, McCoy shared a link to BidNet, a website government agencies use to post requests for proposals.
The College of Saint Rose closed in June 2024 due to financial problems.
The college in the Capital Region was founded in 1920 as a Catholic college for women. More than 50,000 students graduated from the College of Saint Rose during its 104-year history, according to the former school’s website. Jimmy Fallon, host of “The Tonight Show,” was one of Saint Rose’s most famous alumni.
The Albany County Pine Hills Land Authority, an entity created by the state, reportedly bought the former College of Saint Rose campus for $35 million at an auction in late 2024. The county plans to redevelop the campus.
Reactions to McCoy’s announcement that the county is seeking to sell the College of Saint Rose’s library collection were mixed.
Some commenters asked why the books couldn’t be donated to other libraries or placed in the care of the New York State Museum. Others shared memories of the Neil Hellman Library and bemoaned not having enough money to buy the library’s treasures.
“Oh my what a collection,” one person wrote. “May it go to a great collector or other institution whom has enough space and will use it well.”