The Cambridge History of Libraries in Britain and Ireland 3 Volume Hardback Set

Cambridge University Press, 10/26/2006
EAN 9780521858083, ISBN10: 0521858089

Hardcover, 2072 pages, 23.5 x 15.7 x 13.3 cm
Language: English

This is the first detailed scholarly history of libraries in Britain and Ireland, first published in 2006. It aims to provide a panorama of the great variety of libraries since the medieval period, setting them in their social and cultural contexts and interpreting their role as it has changed over time. Libraries of all kinds are included, from monastic libraries and other manuscript collections to the modern world of electronic information. Special attention is given to the purposes of libraries - in education, for professional use, for religious purposes and of course for leisure and general reading. Large libraries and small are covered, with examples from all over the British Isles of how needs have been met. Each volume includes an extensive bibliography of sources and secondary works.

Part I. The Expansion of Book Collections 1640–1750
Part II. Library Developments at a Local Level
Part III. Provincial and Metropolitan Libraries 1750–1850
Part I. Enlightening the Masses
Part II. The Voluntary Ethic
Part III. Libraries for National Needs
Part IV. The Nation's Treasury
Part V. The Spirit of Enquiry
Part VI. The Rise of Professional Society
Part VII. The Trade and its Tools
Part VIII. Automation Pasts, Electronic Futures.