Discover a 17th-century vision for libraries as engines of learning and public good.
In these early letters, John Dury argues that libraries should serve more than quiet study. He lays out a bold plan for an honorable, well-supported Librarie-Keeper who treats books as a public stock to be expanded, organized, and shared. The text explores how a library’s management, cataloging, and trading should advance pietie and learning for scholars at home and abroad.
- A clear mission: libraries as active agents for the spread of knowledge, not mere storerooms.
- Practical ideas for organizing books, manuscripts, and catalogues to aid quick discovery.
- Proposals for accountable funding, oversight, and collaboration among faculties.
- A framework for trading and sharing resources to broaden access and impact.
Ideal for readers interested in the history of libraries, education, and religious reform, this edition sheds light on a historic attempt to modernize how knowledge is stored, funded, and used.