Grace Funk, a retired librarian in Vancouver and Tolkien enthusiast, sold Marquette her collection of 2,376 items.  Funk began building the collection in the early 1980s, seeking out information cited in several Tolkien bibliographies, including Tolkien-focused journals, films, documentary videos, photocopied articles and newspaper clippings.  Many books in the collection have been out-of-print for decades.  "The collection has excellent intellectual value," according to archivist Matt Blessing; "Ms. Funk's professional training as a librarian will offer researchers convenient access to thousands of hard-to-find items."

The new materials will be made available to interested researchers in mid-2004.  However, the collection will be available to visitors who attend “The Lord of the Rings, 1954-2004, Scholarship in Honor of Richard E. Blackwelder” an academic conference hosted by Marquette this October 22 and 23.