A Directory of the Parochial Libraries of the Church of England and.

Ker, Neil [Ripley], Editor. Perkin, Michael [Roger], Editor. A Directory of the Parochial Libraries of the Church of England and the Church in Wales. London: Bibliographical Society, 2004. Revised edition. 490 pp. Illustrations. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt stamped spine. Near fine. Internally clean. $15. * Because of the unauthorized sale, loss, or deteriorating condition of parochial libraries in the 1930s and 1940s, a postal survey of surviving collections was undertaken which resulted in a detailed report and directory finally published under the general editorship of Neil Ker. This book is a thorough revision of that work and incorporates much of its apparatus while reflecting new discoveries and recent research. The Directory in particular has been greatly expanded to include libraries established up to c. 1900, and, especially, a broad sample of what have come to be known as desk-libraries, with one or more pre-1700 prescribed books. Many of the reports, documents, and tables, including the historical introduction, have been reprinted in this new edition, edited and modified to take account of new developments and findings. A Postscript, 2000 briefly outlines research in this field over the last 50 years or so, and there are a number of new lists and tables, one including statistical information.…