Libraries and books in medieval England : the role of libraries in a changing book economy / Richard Sharpe ; edited by James Willoughby

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sharpe, Richard, 1954-2020, author.

Contributor:

Willoughby, James M. W., editor.

Series:

Lyell lectures ; 2018-2019.

Lyell lectures ; 2018-19

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Libraries--England--History--400-1400.

Libraries.

Libraries--England--History--1400-1600.

Books and reading--England--History--To 1500.

Books and reading.

Civilization, Medieval.

England.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xx, 171 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Bodleian Library Publishing, 2023

Summary:

"Medieval England was full of books, many times the number that have survived. The great moment of loss was when the country?s religious houses were suppressed by King Henry VIII and their libraries scattered and destroyed. Twentieth-century scholarship has been enterprising in establishing what survives and in discovering what libraries once held. To understand that evidence, and to be able to reconstruct the transmission of culture in the Middle Ages, we need to employ with care the evidence of the surviving books and what medieval library catalogues can tell us about these lost collections. 'Libraries and Books in Medieval England' paints a new picture of the circulation of books, from the totality of the available evidence. It seeks to move away from the modern conceptualization of the monastic library as the only venue for medieval book provision, and to broaden awareness of the wider book economy, including private ownership and the birth of the book trade. The result, by one of the country?s leading experts and based on his Lyell Lectures in the University of Oxford, is an unparalleled work offering a new view of the field."--Front flap, dust jacket

Contents:

Foreword / Richard Ovenden

Preface / James Willoughby

Medieval libraries of Great Britain

English medieval library catalogues

Library books and personal books

Turnover in libraries

Growth, competition, stability, loss, renewal

Decay and closure of libraries.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 155-165) and indexes

ISBN:

9781851246014

1851246010

OCLC:

1381369794

Publisher Number:

99994056630