Book Excerpt

Order Nr. 94201 A MODEST COLLECTION: PRIVATE LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION, 1956-2006. David Chambers
(Private Libraries Association).

A MODEST COLLECTION: PRIVATE LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION, 1956-2006.

Pinner, Middlesex: Private Libraries Association, 2007. 6.25 x 9.75 inches. hardcover. 378 pages. First edition. Here, in the guise of a history of the Private Libraries Association, is an account of the friendships of its members over the past fifty years. They have all been collectors, with widely differing interests, from countries across the world, united by a love of books and the need to be surrounded by them at the end of a day's..... READ MORE

Price: $60.00  other currencies  Order nr. 94201

Liber Amicorum
David Chambers

Here, in the guise of the story of our Association, is an account of friendships between its members over the past fifty years. They have all been collectors with widely different interests, from countries across the world, united by a love of books and the need to be surrounded by them at the end of a day's work, and in the years of retirement. The aim of the society has been to bring together such enthusiasts and to offer them books and essays in the journal that will lead them further into the bibliophilic quagmire. The enormous range of their interests has added edge to our publications, but our need has been to deal in sufficient depth with the subject in hand, to give purpose to its text, and yet to interest other members whose collections have moved in quite different directions. A number of future essays for the journal will, in fact, be derived from some of the brief essays in this present volume.

The first three of the chapters which follow are reprinted from The Private Library, Autumn and Winter 1980 and Spring 1981, with some necessary amendments to allow for the passage of time.

In the preparation of this volume our thanks are due to John Byrne and Paul Nash for reading the text with such great care, and for their extensive corrections which have prevented many errors, both textual and typographic, that would otherwise have escaped into print.

Fifty years ago we were, it seems, half a century younger. Philip Ward was eighteen, just starting his career in librarianship, and filled with the youthful excitement that has stayed with him ever since. I was getting married in 1956, but joined the Association the following year. Now we hope that the younger minds amongst our members will drive us forward into the next half century. To my sorrow, indeed, two of our contributors, Claude Cox and Len Weaver, have died whilst this volume has been in preparation.

There remain to be thanked in this account of our activities all those members who have worked so hard to carry its affairs to successful conclusion, some, but not all, serving on the Council. To attempt to name them all here would now be an impossible task, but their part should not be forgotten.

Not all our contributors have wanted portraits of themselves to be included, and, indeed, some of the photographs have had to be limited in size so as to improve the quality of reproduction. The style and extent of the essays has varied considerably, but there has been little editing, for the individuality of the pieces seemed part of their attraction. Where space was left at the end of a particular essay this has often been filled with some apt engraving or drawing relevant to the character of the collection concerned.

A book for, and about our friends . . .