I mailed this to Stephen Pumphrey on Monday 12 April, and now forward
it to the list in case it be of interest generally
By now you are probably tired of correspondents directing you to the
Bibliography of Library History, 1962/1968 onwards, published
originally by the Library Association, which includes sections on the
studies of private libraries, including family libraries. I suspect,
however, that what analysis, as distinct from pure description, there
is, is to be found embedded in works on family history and in the
more elaborate guidebooks to individual houses such as those
published by the owners themselves and by the National Trusts,
English Heritage, Historic Scotland, etc. Older theses on history of
families, as opposed to those on Librarianship, might be a useful
source; and some of the older FLA theses held by the Library
Association (or more probably, now by the British Library in BLISS)
might yield useful information. The only other itee that springs to
my mind is peripheral: a University of Edinburgh PhD thesis (1980)
by a former colleague, Leslie A. Martin, on 'The study and teaching
of the Italian language in the British Isles during the 18th
century'. If I remember rightly he does not deal directly with
libraries and their contents, but does examine the extent to which
intending travellers from Britain studied Italian in connection with
their travel abroad. There may be references in his bibliography,
and those of other similar ones elsewhere, which are worth following
up.
It is possible that you have discovered a gap in the literature or,
at least in the documentation, and are now driving a truck through
it! There is a thought.
I hope that these few notes may be of some help.
Peter Freshwater
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PETER B. FRESHWATER
Deputy Librarian
Edinburgh University Library, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LJ, Scotland
Email: [log in to unmask]; Fax: +44(0)131-650 3380; Telephone: +44(0)131-650 3383
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