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

This is the first detailed scholarly history of libraries in Britain and Ireland. 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.

• The most comprehensive history of libraries from their beginnings to the digital age • Examines all kinds of libraries and their importance to British and Irish culture and society • An essential reference work for historians, librarians and bibliographers

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.

The global view of libraries and librarianship is typical of all three volumes. So, too, is the excellent bibliography and index … this is the most academic, with an extremely high quality of scholarship …This book is the starting point for all research into early British library history, informative in itself and directing readers further .\' Rare Books Newsletter

\'Volume 1 is, in scope and detail, a thoroughly documented and illustrated account of collections of books wholly unlike what we have come to regard as a library. … CHLB is without a doubt a major contribution to library history\' The Library