To view prices and purchase online, please login or create an account now.



The Chained Library: A Survey of Four Centuries in the Evolution of the English Library

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title The Chained Library: A Survey of Four Centuries in the Evolution of the English Library
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Burnett Hillman Streeter
SeriesCambridge Library Collection - History of Printing, Publishing and Libraries
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:396
Dimensions(mm): Height 234,Width 156
Category/GenreLibrary and information sciences
ISBN/Barcode 9781108027892
ClassificationsDewey:027.042
Audience
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Illustrations 79 Halftones, black and white; 14 Line drawings, black and white

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 10 March 2011
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

B. H. Streeter (1874-1937) was an Oxford theologian and biblical scholar. From 1915 to 1934 he was a canon of Hereford Cathedral, which is famous for its medieval chained library. Books were rare and precious items in the middle ages, and were frequently chained to the bookshelf and read on the lectern below to prevent unauthorised removal. Streeter's researches during the Hereford library's restoration led to the publication in 1931 of this illustrated study of early English libraries. It examines in detail the arrangement of libraries from medieval times to the eighteenth century, focusing on cathedral, college and parish libraries in England. Examining their floor plans, the form of their desks, shelves and seating arrangement, Streeter identifies distinct variations in design. Libraries are working buildings, and alter over time with the needs of their users, but Streeter's wide-ranging expertise allows him to reconstruct their earlier configurations.