This history of libraries is particularly important as a pioneering work on all aspects of public library management and organisation.

Published soon after his untimely death, this spirited memoir of the artist and illustrator Randolph Caldecott (1846 1886) will appeal as much for its value as a portrait composed by a close acquaintance, as for the many drawings it contains. Written by Henry Blackburn (the editor of the London Society, 'an illustrated magazine of light and amusing literature' to which Caldecott contributed a number of drawings), it uses a style similar to that of Caldecott himself, who often peppered his papers, personal letters to family and friends, and even official documents with small sketches. These...

This two-volume work covers the period 1570 1870, and is one of several written on book collections by Edward Edwards (1812 1886), whose three-volume Memoirs of Libraries is also reissued in this series. Volume 1 considers the gatherers of the 'foundation collections' of the British Museum. Among them were Henry, Prince of Wales, the son of James I, Sir Robert Cotton (1571 1631), and Sir Hans Sloane (1660 1753), whose bequest of his collections to George II led directly to the foundation of the Museum by Act of Parliament in 1753. The administrators and early donors to the Museum -...

In 1809, Thomas Frognall Dibdin (1776 1847) published the first edition of Bibliomania, focussing on the contemporary craze for book collecting. Introduced in English at the end of the eighteenth century, the term 'bibliomania' - or 'book-madness' - gained popularity with the publication of Dibdin's book, in which bibliophiles conduct dialogues on the nature and history of book collecting, and the symptoms of and possible remedies for this 'fatal disease'. Published in 1832 under the pseudonym Mercurius Rusticus, Bibliophobia is a short pamphlet, which presents itself as a letter to the...

'A passion for possessing books, not so much to be instructed by them, as to gratify the eye by looking on them': thus is described 'bibliomania' by one of the characters of Thomas Frognall Dibdin (1776 1847), in this humorous novel first published in 1809. Introduced in English at the end of the eighteenth century, the term 'bibliomania' - or 'book-madness' - gained popularity with the publication of Dibdin's eponymous work. Using the entirely revised 1811 edition, this reissue brings back to life Dibdin's bibliomaniac characters and their playful dialogues on the nature and history of book...

Arthur Le Blanc Newbery's family history, published in 1911, is meticulously researched and easy to read, consolidating a range of resources to provide a comprehensive history of the Newberys. Presented in timeline form using extracts from the various sources, it also includes biographies of members of the related Raikes, Le Blanc, and McClintock families. Central to the history is the life of John Newbery (1713 1767), a well-known publisher, most notably of children's books, and friend of Samuel Johnson and Oliver Goldsmith. His relationship with the two men is well documented, and the...

Henry Curwen (1845 1892) was a journalist and author who became editor of the Times of India. First published in 1874, A History of Booksellers aimed at providing an informative but entertaining picture of British bookselling and publishing, by means of 'biographies' of the major publishing houses and their output. He begins with a general survey of publishing and bookselling from Roman times to the nineteenth century, including a discussion of copyright legislation. It is clear that by 1800 the demand for books was considerable and growing: Alexander Donaldson, who specialised in cheap...

A pioneering English manual of bookbinding, first published in 1835, frequently reprinted, and still of great value today.

Henry Benjamin Wheatley (1838 1917) was a prolific writer on bibliography, literature and the arts. As founder of the Index Society, and editor of The Bibliographer, he was also involved in the foundation of the Library Association. In that context he wrote several works on library topics. How to Catalogue a Library (1889) was aimed at smaller library collections, as existing systems, such as the manuals of the British Museum library or the Library of Congress, were too elaborate for smaller collections. Wheatley begins by defining the differences between catalogues, indexes and...

Henry Benjamin Wheatley (1838 1917) was a prolific writer on bibliography, literature and the arts. As founder of the Index Society, and editor of The Bibliographer, he was also involved in the foundation of the Library Association. In that context he wrote several works on library topics. How to Form a Library was published in 1886, when libraries were spreading rapidly throughout England. The book provides advice on the selection of material for different kinds of libraries and audiences, and suggests a list of core works. Although the choices reflect the period in which it was written - a...