Many major universities maintain a special collections library, either for areas of department expertise or to preserve older books from overuse. However, not all of them are as beautiful as the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. Thanks to the iconic glass tower of books at the center of the Beinecke, the library is well-known around the world in pictures. It also has a fascinating history and a very noteworthy collection.
Fans of the Harry Potter movies would recognize the Upper Reading Room of the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The filmmakers used the picturesque library – filled with old tomes, decorative shelving, and books chained to the stacks – to recreate the Hogwarts school library. The Bodleian is not only one of the most recognizable libraries in the world, but also one of the oldest and most revered.
Recently, the Cleveland Public Library unearthed a first edition copy of Charles Dickens’ holiday novella, A Christmas Carol that they didn’t even know they had. The librarian was putting together a display of Christmas books, and when she pulled A Christmas Carol off the shelf, she realized it was, in fact, the original printing.
Today, we kick off a series about the most exceptional libraries in the world. Focusing on everything from Shakespeare to botany, they hold some of the rarest books and print materials on earth. For those of you who cannot physically visit these places, we hope our articles will provide a peek into the amazing breadth and richness of book collecting.
There are three must-see vacation destinations for the Shakespeare lover: his home in Stratford-upon-Avon, the Globe Theatre in London, and the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C.
The Center for the Book at the Library of Congress continues its celebration of the written word with the 2013 National Book Festival. Yesterday this year's line-up was announced, and the event promises to be exceptional. This week we sat down with Dr. John Y Cole, founding director of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Under Dr. Cole's leadership, the center plays a crucial role in the annual National Book Festival; for example, Dr. Cole has served as its principal author coordinator since the festival was established in 2001. We discussed the role of the festival, along with the future of books, reading, and literacy.
This year Alan Noel Latimer "Tim" Munby would be 100 years old and the ABAA recently blogged about an upcoming conference at King's College to mark Munby's centenary year. Bibliophiles and rare book collectors around the world are anticipating the event, and it's the perfect time to explore Munby's contributions to bibliography, collecting, and authorship.
Candace Jordan has made an incredible name for herself in Chicago society. A former actress and model, Candace now authors a Chicago Tribune column, hosts an online show called "Candid Candace Chicago," maintains her own blog, and regularly contributes to A Perfect Event and STATUS magazines.
Over the years, book conservators have used a wide variety of techniques for preserving, conserving, and repairing rare books. Some of these techniques are more effective than others; indeed, many practices that were commonplace in centuries past actually damaged rare books, rather than protecting them. Contemporary conservators often find themselves having to undo the work of their well-meaning predecessors.
Regardless of where you live, maintaining the ideal environmental conditions in your personal library presents specific challenges. Conservation of rare books requires keeping your library at a certain temperature and humidity.
We rare book collectors have all seen it: a dealer, librarian, or other expert dons a spotless pair of white gloves before laying a single finger on some priceless volume. The practice is especially common in special collections libraries, where white gloves are considered an integral part of protecting antiquarian books. Should collectors follow suit and use the gloves for handling antiquarian books in their personal libraries?
