The Private Library

Arthur Lee HumphreysProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 205K words
Chapters: 21

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Private Library by Arthur Lee HumphreysAuthor: Humphreys, Arthur Lee, 1865-1946,Language: English, Class: Z: Bibliography, Library science, Release Date: Feb 24, 2009

Editor's review

This book centers on the private library. Written in the voice of a practicing collector, it discusses the collecting, organizing, keeping, and appreciation of books, an old essayistic work belonging to bibliography and library science. Its value lies not in offering a today's technical guide to book collecting, but in presenting the ideas and tastes of early twentieth-century bibliophilic culture: what books are worth collecting, how a collection should be organized, and how a private study differs from a public collection. The prose has the ease of old-style essays and is suited to leisurely reading in a quiet setting. For today's readers it can serve both as an introduction to bibliophilic culture and as primary material for the history of the book and of reading culture. Read it as a conversation with a collector of an earlier age, noting the thoughts on choosing and keeping books that transcend their time, while remaining clear-eyed about the work's historical limitations.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in bibliophilic culture and book history who want to understand early ideas of private collecting
Book lovers with a personal study or small collection who seek organizing ideas
Students of bibliography and library science, who may read it as English public-domain source material
General readers who enjoy old-style essayistic prose and slow reading

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking practical guidance on modern book preservation, temperature and humidity control, and the like
Professionals looking for contemporary book classification, cataloging standards, and tools
Readers who prefer fast-paced practical books and have no patience for old-style essays

Reading tips

Read chapter by chapter by theme, taking notes and comparing the book's organizing methods with your own shelves
Compare the book's collecting ideas with today's practices, noting differences and insights
The original is an English public-domain book; read it through once, then return to chapters of interest for close reading
After reading, write a short history of your own collecting, putting the book's ideas into practice

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for learning modern collection management methods?

Not really. It is an early essayistic work on bibliophilic culture, discussing the collecting ideas and practices of its time; it does not cover modern preservation, cataloging standards, or digital management. For hands-on methods, look for contemporary professional sources; this book is better used as cultural background and conceptual reference.

Do the book's collecting ideas still have reference value today?

In part. Its discussions of selection criteria, collection organization, and the meaning of a private study often transcend their era and can still inspire personal collectors today. But its specific practices and material conditions differ from today's, so readers should adapt rather than copy them wholesale.

How difficult is this book to read?

It is an English public-domain e-book written in an old essayistic style, with long sentences and refined diction, which poses some difficulty for non-native readers. Use a dictionary, proceed chapter by chapter, and do not get stuck on every word; if you are interested in the subject of book collecting, it will read more smoothly.

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About the author

Arthur Lee Humphreys Author · British · 1865–1946

Arthur Lee Humphreys (1865–1946) was a British bibliographer and publisher. Combining scholarly research with publishing practice, he wrote with attention both to the accurate description of texts and to books as physical objects that are collected and passed down. His representative work, The Private Library, centres on private book collecting, discussing the selection, arrangement and reading value of collections, and reflects the bibliographic tradition's careful concern with editions, catalogues and the history of collecting. Besides this book, he also wrote works on local bibliography and numismatics, showing interests spanning documentary bibliography and material historical sources. Public information on the details of his life is limited, and this introduction rests only on the subjects of his works and his professional identity. His work offers useful texts for later understanding of private library culture and bibliographic method.