Speaker: Meghan Constantinou (Librarian, The Grolier Club, New York)

Title:  Private Library Catalogues as Sources for Library History: an Appreciation

Private - or domestic - library catalogues are rich, yet underutilized, resources for the study of library history. In addition to documenting an owner’s collection, they can double as bibliographies, illustrate changing trends in book design, and capture information about book lending, library organization, and social and architectural history. This talk provides an overview and appreciation of these multifaceted sources using examples drawn from the Grolier Club Library. The emphasis will be on pre-1850 British, French and U.S. catalogues and will include both manuscript and printed examples. The Grolier Club of New York is America’s oldest and largest society for bibliophiles and enthusiasts in the graphic arts. Since its founding in 1884, the club has maintained a research library dedicated to the art and history of the book, with an emphasis on the literature of collecting and the book trade.