A Short Account of the Charity and Library established under the Will of the Late Rev. Daniel Williams, D.D.—a historical look at two centuries of the Trust and its library.
This nonfiction work traces how the Dr. Williams's Library grew from modest beginnings to become a major collection. It covers changes in leadership, the development of administration, and the evolving building that houses the library and related offices. The narrative highlights how growth affected space, access, and the handling of donors and bequests, all framed around the trust’s bicentenary reflections.
Readers will see how the library has balanced preserving rare items with expanding its current-use collections. The text also notes notable acquisitions, gaps in holdings, and the practicalities of cataloguing, lending, and governance over more than 170 years.
- A chronological account of trustees, secretaries, and key administrators
- Descriptions of the building’s transformation and its implications for access
- Evidence of how donations shaped the library’s growth and the decisions around duplicates
- Examples of important items, manuscripts, and early printed works in the collection
Ideal for readers of local history and library history, offering a grounded view of how a charitable trust sustains a significant library across generations.