The Library Guild of Dickinson College was formed on February 20, 1903 after a suggestion from Professor Bradford O. McIntire and was authorized by the Board of Trustees on March 5, 1903 to build an endowment for the purchase of books for the Library. The first constitution directed a board to be appointed and the first trustees named were Dean Mervin Filler, McIntire, John Rhey, class of 1883, and Frysinger Evans, class of 1892. The receipts for the first year were $263.
Classes were asked to participate as they graduated, beginning with the class of 1903, and by 1924 the Guild was receiving gifts from around 350 alumni. By that time the Guild had an endowment of $13,836.36, providing an income which could only be used to purchase library books. During 1923, for example, the Guild was able to purchase 356 new volumes.