Skip to Content Skip to Main Navigation Skip to Sidebar Navigation Skip to Search Area Skip to Live Chat Skip to Footer
UD Logo
Library, Museums and Press News
  • Research
    • Databases
      • Find a Database
      • How to Connect
      • Report a Problem
      • Status Updates
    • DELCAT Online Catalog
    • Digital Collections
      • Digital Collections Home
      • Highlights
      • AM Quartex
      • UDSpace Institutional Repository
      • JSTOR
      • Finding Aids
      • Online Exhibitions
      • Propose a Digitization Project
      • Copyright Policies
      • Contact
        • Contact Information
        • Location and Hours
    • Film and Video Collection
      • Film and Video Home
      • About
      • Collections
        • Browse Collections
        • Search for Media
        • 16mm Films
        • New Acquisitions
        • Video Games
      • Using Media
        • Circulation and Scheduling
        • Our Spaces
        • Streaming Media
        • Instructional Support
        • Media and Copyright
        • Forms
      • Policies
        • Circulation and Scheduling
        • Collection Development
        • Fines
        • Scheduling Request Form
      • Contact
        • Contact Information
        • Location and Hours
        • Ask Film and Video
        • FAQ
    • Journal Article Search
    • Journal Browse
    • Research Guides
    • Special Collections
    • UDSpace Institutional Repository
      • Go to UDSpace
      • About UDSpace
  • Services
    • Borrow and Renew Materials
      • Borrow and Renew Home
      • How to Find a Book
      • UD Library Self-Checkout
      • Manage My Account
        • My Library Account Information
        • My Library Account Support
        • Telephone Renewal
      • Request Materials
        • Overview
        • All Circulation Forms
        • Book Holds Service Form
        • In-Process Material Request
        • Library Annex Request Form
        • Obtaining a Locker
        • Report a Missing Book
      • For Faculty
        • Authorized Borrower Card Application for Faculty
        • Faculty Research Studies
        • Library Retired Faculty Room
      • For Graduate Students
        • Graduate Student Carrels
      • Borrowing Policies
        • Overview
        • Loan Periods
        • Renewals
        • Public Borrower Information
        • Reciprocal Borrowing Programs
      • Contact
        • Contact Information
        • Location and Hours
        • Staff Directory
        • Ask Help Center
        • FAQ
    • Borrow Equipment/Technology
      • All Equipment and Technology
      • Video Cameras
      • Digital Still Cameras
      • Camera Accessories
      • Laptops, iPads and Drives
      • Audio Equipment
      • Cables
      • Headphones and Other
      • Equipment Borrowing Policies
    • Course Reserves
      • Course Reserves Home
      • For Faculty
      • For Students
    • Forms
    • Interlibrary Loan
      • Interlibrary Loan Home
      • Interlibrary Loan Services
        • Getting Started
        • Article DELivery Service
        • Associate in Arts Program Delivery
        • Distance Learning DELivery Service
        • HathiTrust Accessible Text Request Service
        • Office Delivery
        • SHARES
      • Other Libraries
        • Lending to Delaware Libraries
        • Lending to Other Libraries
        • Registration for University of Delaware ILL Lending
      • Policies
        • Our Policies and Procedures
        • Cancelled Requests
      • Contact
        • Contact Information
        • Ask ILL
        • FAQ
    • Teaching and Learning Services
      • Teaching and Learning Home
      • Request for Teaching Collaboration
      • Teaching and Learning Support
      • What We Teach
        • Data Literacy
        • Digital Badge Programs
        • Research Skills
        • Multimedia
        • Primary Sources
        • Publishing and Sharing Work
      • English 110 Resources
      • Video Tutorials
        • All Tutorials
        • Citation
        • Off-Campus Access
        • Research
        • Subjects
        • Workshops
      • Success Stories
        • Case Study: Undergraduates Engage with History
        • Case Study: Multimedia Instruction
        • Case Study: Using Library Resources to Perform Industry Research
      • Teaching and Learning Directory
      • Open Education Resources
    • Print, Copy and Scan
    • Reference Services
      • Reference Services Home
      • About
      • Research
        • Getting Started
        • Evaluating and Citing Sources
        • Learning More
        • Research Guides
      • Teaching and Learning
        • Teaching and Learning Services
        • Workshops
      • Video Tutorials
      • Contact
        • Contact Information
        • Location and Hours
        • Subject Specialists
        • Staff Directory
        • Ask Reference
        • FAQ
        • Recommend for Library Purchase
    • Research Data Services
      • Research Data Services Home
      • About
      • Data Management Resources
      • Data Services Directory
      • Services
      • Contact
        • Contact Information
        • Location and Hours
        • FAQ
    • Reserve Spaces, Lockers, Carrels
    • UD Press
  • Visit
    • Building Information
      • Visiting Information
      • Locations and Hours
      • Library Floor Plan Maps
      • Driving Directions
      • Shuttle Bus Routes
      • Parking
      • Renovations and Updates
      • Restrooms
    • Events and Workshops
      • Upcoming Events and Workshops
      • Past Events
      • Scholar in the Library
    • Branch Libraries
      • Branch Libraries Home
      • Chemistry Library
        • About
        • Services
        • Location and Hours
        • Contact
      • Education Resource Center
        • About
        • Services
        • Location and Hours
        • Contact
      • Marine Studies Library
        • About
        • Services
        • Location and Hours
        • Contact
      • Physics Library
        • About
        • Services
        • Location and Hours
        • Contact
    • Film and Video Collection
      • Film and Video Home
      • About
        • Our Collection
        • Events
      • Collections
        • Browse Collections
        • Search for Media
        • 16mm Films
        • New Acquisitions
        • Video Games
      • Using Media
        • Circulation and Scheduling
        • Our Spaces
        • Streaming Media
        • Instructional Support
        • Media and Copyright
        • Forms
      • Policies
        • Circulation and Scheduling
        • Collection Development
        • Fines
        • Scheduling Request Form
      • Contact
        • Contact Information
        • Location and Hours
        • Ask Film and Video
        • FAQ
    • Museums and Galleries
      • Museums and Galleries Home
      • About
      • News
      • Events
      • Exhibitions
      • Visiting and Services
        • Class Visits and Tours
        • Locations and Hours
        • Museum Galleries
      • Collections
        • About
        • AM Quartex
        • JSTOR
        • Digital Collections
      • Research Tools
        • Overview
        • Finding Aids
        • DELCAT Online Catalog
        • Research Guides
        • Access to Primary Resources
        • Awards and Funding Opportunities
      • Policies
        • Special Collections Policies and Procedures
        • Copyright Restrictions
        • Reproducing Materials
      • Contact
        • Contact Museums
        • Contact Special Collections
        • Staff Directory
        • FAQ
    • Our Spaces
      • Our Spaces Home
      • Directions and Maps
      • Find My Event
      • Hours
      • Reserve a Seat
      • Print, Copy and Scan
      • Spaces
        • All Spaces
        • Inclusive Spaces
        • Study Spaces
        • Make and Create Spaces
        • Learn and Connect Spaces
    • Special Collections
      • Special Collections Home
      • About
      • News
      • Events
      • Exhibitions
      • Visiting and Services
        • Class Visits and Tours
        • Locations and Hours
        • Museum Galleries
      • Collections
        • About
        • AM Quartex
        • JSTOR
        • Digital Collections
      • Research Tools
        • Overview
        • Finding Aids
        • DELCAT Online Catalog
        • Research Guides
        • Access to Primary Resources
        • Awards and Funding Opportunities
      • Policies
        • Special Collections Policies and Procedures
        • Copyright Restrictions
        • Reproducing Materials
      • Contact
        • Contact Museums
        • Contact Special Collections
        • Staff Directory
        • FAQ
    • Student Multimedia Design Center
      • SMDC Home
      • About
      • Multimedia Tips and Tricks
      • Equipment Kits
        • All Equipment Kits
        • Video Cameras
        • Digital Still Cameras
        • Camera Accessories
        • Laptops, iPads and Drives
        • Audio Equipment
        • Cables
        • Headphones and Other
      • Reservations
      • Services
        • Getting Started
        • Microforms
        • Print, Copy and Scan
          • UD ONEcard and Flex
          • Copying
          • Large-Format Printing
          • Printing
          • Scanning
      • Software
        • All Software
        • Audio Software
        • Graphics Software
        • Text Software
        • Video Software
      • Spaces
        • All Spaces
        • Audio Spaces
        • Graphics Spaces
        • Video Spaces
        • Other Spaces
      • Policies
        • General Policies
        • Circulation Policies
        • Reservation Policies
      • Contact
        • Contact Information
        • Location and Hours
        • Staff Directory
        • Ask SMDC
        • FAQ
    • Writing Center
  • About
    • About Library, Museums and Press
    • Building Information
      • Visiting Information
      • Locations and Hours
      • Library Floor Plan Maps
      • Driving Directions
      • Shuttle Bus Routes
      • Parking
      • Restrooms
    • Collections
      • Our Collections
        • DELCAT
        • Digital Collections
        • Curated Collections
        • Film and Video
        • Special Collections
      • Budget Information
      • Open Access
      • Policies
    • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
    • Employment
      • Employment Information
      • Student Employment Information
      • Library Rank and Promotion System
    • Initiatives
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Mellon Poetry as Activism
      • Open Education Resources
      • Pauline A. Young Residency
      • UDLib/SEARCH
      • Collaborating on a Grant Proposal
    • Library Policies
      • All Library Policies
      • General Library Policies
        • Community Norms
        • Confidentiality of Library Records
        • Copyright and Database License Restrictions
        • Gifts of Materials and Objects
        • Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, and Code of Ethics
      • Library Facilities Policies
        • Group Study Room Policies
        • Retired Faculty Room Policies
        • Room Reservations for Non-Library Events
      • Library Collection Policies
        • Circulation Policies
        • Collection Development Policy
        • Course Reserve Services and Policies
        • Digital Collections Copyright Policies
        • Film and Video Collection Policies
        • Institutional Repository Policies
        • Interlibrary Loan Policies
        • Special Collections Policies
        • Student Multimedia Design Center Policies
        • Textbook Policy
    • News
      • Library, Museums and Press News
      • Sign up for Mailing List
    • Publications
      • Impact Report
    • Strategic Directions
      • Strategic Directions Home
      • Overview
      • Student Success and Learning
      • Research, Scholarship and Discovery
      • Our Spaces
      • Partnerships and Collaboration
  • Help
    • Ask the Library Chat/Email
    • Disability Assistance
    • E-Resource Status Updates
    • FAQs
    • Off-Campus Access
      • General Information
      • Eduroam
      • OpenAthens Bookmarklet
      • OpenAthens FAQs
      • Permalinks
    • Research Guides
    • Subject Specialists
    • Video Tutorials
  • My Accounts
    • Canvas@UD
    • My Library Account (DELCAT)
    • My Interlibrary Loan Account
    • Staff Intranet Login
    • UD Webmail
  • Hours
    • Morris Library 8am–7pm
    • View All Hours
  • Support Us
    • Making a Gift
    • Friends of the UD Library
      • Overview
      • Faculty Lecture
      • Annual Dinner
      • Book Collecting Contest
      • Research Award
    • Gifts of Materials and Objects
  • Contact Us
    • Call (302) 831-2965
    • Live Chat Daily
    • All Contact Info
    • Subject Specialists
    • Staff Directory
    • Organization Chart
Search Library Resources Search Library Websites
FOR:
IN:
SEARCH
GO TO: Advanced Search | Databases | E-Journals | UDSpace
FOR:
IN:
SEARCH
GO TO: Advanced Search | Events | Research Guides | Online Exhibitions
Keyboard focus is
  • Home
  • News
  • A Worldwide Story
    • Home
    • About
    • Events
    • Sign up for Mailing List
    Sean McAllister stands in front of bookshelves displaying his Harry Potter collection.

    Sean McAllister, a microbiologist who earned his doctorate from UD in spring 2019, has an extensive multilingual collection of Harry Potter books. His collection consists of authorized translations of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone' — one of the most translated books in history — and unique cover art across the entire series.

    akjohnso
    December 12, 2019

    A Worldwide Story

    Sign up to receive news via email

    Article by Allison Ebner | Photos courtesy of Sean McAllister

    UD microbiologist preserves the magic of language through his Harry Potter collection

    Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of articles highlighting the winners of the first Seth Trotter Book Collecting Contest, hosted by the Friends of the University of Delaware Library. Discover the magic of the wizarding world in every language through microbiologist Sean McAllister’s collection of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ translations.

    In high school, microbiologist Sean McAllister studied Spanish. To practice his reading of the language, his parents gifted him the Spanish translation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling — the first book in the series McAllister already loved.

    As he used the book to better learn the Spanish language, he thought of the Rosetta Stone — a slab of stone from 196 BC with the same decree inscribed in two languages: Ancient Egyptian, specifically the hieroglyphic and demotic scripts, and Ancient Greek. Using the Ancient Greek inscription on the stone, scholars were able to decipher the two Ancient Egyptian scripts, proving the Rosetta Stone essential to understanding Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and subsequently Ancient Egyptian history.

    Unique cover art on 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' and 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows'

    In addition to authorized translations, Sean McAllister collects unique cover art variants across the entire series. This includes the newest edition of the Burmese translations, which feature updated cover art as seen in these copies of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ (released in two parts).

    Inspired by the Rosetta Stone, McAllister set off on his mission to collect all authorized translations of the first book in the Harry Potter series to create a library of identical texts featuring the world’s languages.

    With 97 different authorized translations, transliterations, adaptations and variants — and more still appearing — Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was one of the 20 most translated books in history, as of December 2019.

    Hawaiian, the newest translation, was published just last year. It is only the second time the book has been translated to an indigenous language — a subject McAllister is especially interested in.

    Anniversary set of the Harry Potter series from Germany.

    In addition to authorized translations, Sean McAllister collects unique cover art variants across the entire series. Many countries celebrated the 20th anniversary of the first book, including Germany, where publishers released an anniversary set with new cover art for all seven books in the series.

    “Publishing indigenous languages in Harry Potter connects the popularity of Harry Potter with trying to preserve those languages from extinction in young language learners,” he said.

    As his collection grew and new translations were published, McAllister, who received his doctorate from UD in the spring of 2019, became interested in the various cover illustrations. With this new interest, he began acquiring all original cover art across translations of all seven books in the series. This soon expanded to include original sketches and commissioned artwork from the series illustrators.

    “Many languages were represented by unique art that reflected interesting cultural preferences,” McAllister said. “Illustrations capture a lot about the culture. That’s why I love collecting the cover art. You read the book; you have the image in your mind’s eye. But I love seeing how other people interpret it.”

    Between the authorized translations and unique cover art variants, his collection currently sits at 442 books, in addition to book illustrations.

    The new official publication of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone' in Chinese comes in two volumes with new artwork for each.

    Sean McAllister collects unique cover art variants across the entire series. The new official publication of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ in Chinese comes in two volumes with new artwork for each.

    As an oceanographer, McAllister travels around the world to different countries, affording him the opportunity to discover some of the titles in person. When he began collecting in the early 2000s, he primarily acquired the translations that pertained directly to his life — translations related to the languages he studied, countries he visited, gifts he was given.

    After his initial phase of in-person collecting, McAllister turned to the internet. There, he developed a worldwide network of friends and allies to help him locate specific translations. While he’s learned quite a bit about the languages of the world, he doesn’t speak them all — but that’s no barrier for this collector. McAllister uses Google Translate to open up lines of communication with native speakers around the world, often connecting with people through Reddit, social media and video chats. He shares photos of his collection via his Instagram account @mcallister_alaskagrown.

    With this worldwide network at his fingertips, McAllister has nearly completed his collection. At present, he only needs two more titles to complete his collection of unique cover art, and just one more to complete his collection of authorized translations.

    Unique cover art is for the Occitan translation of 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.'

    Sean McAllister collects unique cover art variants across the entire series. This unique cover art is for the Occitan translation of ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.’ Occitan is a Romance language spoken in parts of France, Italy and Spain.

    This last translation — the Malayalam, an official regional language of India — is notoriously one of the six hardest translations to acquire. To do so, McAllister may have to travel to the Indian state of Kerala to get his hands on it — a prospect he considers with excitement.

    As McAllister hunts for the final titles of his collection, he has begun to act as an aide for others trying to expand their collections. He particularly enjoys helping others find seemingly rare and impossible-to-find titles.

    Even though he’s only three titles away from a technically complete collection, McAllister knows as long as they keep translating the book into new languages and releasing new cover art, he’ll keep collecting.

    Seth Trotter Book Collecting Contest

    McAllister earned third place in the 2019 Friends of the University of Delaware Library’s Seth Trotter Book Collecting Contest. The first installment in the series was about graduate student Joseph Nakao. The Friends created the contest to encourage reading and research, the creation of personal libraries, and an appreciation of printed or illustrated works for pleasure and scholarship among UD undergraduate and graduate students. Students can learn more about the 2020 Seth Trotter Book Collecting Contest, including how to submit their applications on this website.

    News Mention: The Nest in the Libra..
    News Mention: A Box of Abandoned Ph..
    Library, Museums and Press
    181 S. College Avenue Newark, DE 19717-5267
    View our website in:
    • DELCAT Online Catalog
    • Research Guides
    • Support Us
    • Databases
    • Interlibrary Loan
    • About
    • Electronic Journals
    • Reserve a Space
    • Events and Workshops
    • Off-Campus Access
    • Hours
    • Contact
    Sign Up for the Latest News and Events
    I would like to receive...
    ©2025 University of Delaware
    Accessibility
    Comments
    Legal Notices