Introduction to Rare Books Librarianship Aberystwyth University

Programme Structure

After completing this short course you should be able to:

• define the nature and purpose of rare-book libraries

• discuss the history of the printed book in Western Europe, especially in Britain

• identify the principal physical characteristics of a printed book of the hand-press period

• explain the general principles of the printing process in the hand-press period

• explain the roles of the various tradesmen and craftsmen within the book trade, such as printer, bookseller, binder, papermaker, compositor

• demonstrate how to identify a book of the hand-press period using the standard bibliographical reference tools for English printed materials

• analyse the main curatorial and management problems facing a rare-books librarian, including security, conservation, information technology, and reader services

• devise a promotional strategy for a rare-books collection