College and Research Libraries


B y F R E D E R I C K B . A D A M S , J R . 

Long Live the Bibliophile!* 
Mr. Adams is director, Pierpont Morgan 

Library, New York. 

TW E N T Y - F I V E Y E A R S A G O t h e r a r e b o o k rooms in A m e r i c a n c o l l e g e and uni-
versity libraries c o u l d be c o u n t e d on 

one's fingers. N o w the institution t h a t 

doesn't h a v e one tends to f e e l it is o u t of 

step. R a r e book rooms are not j u s t at H a r -

v a r d and Y a l e , they are l i t e r a l l y e v e r y -

w h e r e . I am sure this w o u l d h a v e p u z z l e d 

m y f r i e n d , the old l a d y f r o m B o s t o n . She 

heard a sermon preached by a s t r a n g e r in 

the A r l i n g t o n S t r e e t C h u r c h , and w h e n she 

c o m p l i m e n t e d the preacher a f t e r w a r d s , she 

took a d v a n t a g e of the occasion to probe 

i n t o his origins. " I c a n ' t quite place y o u r 

a c c e n t — s h e s a i d — i t doesn't quite seem to 

be the N e w t o n s , or D e d h a m , or M i l t o n . 

W h a t can it b e ? " " W h y , M a d a m e , I ' m an 

I o w a n . " " A W H A T ? " " A n I o w a n , f r o m 

the state of I o w a . " " O h , " she said, hesi-

t a n t l y . T h e n she t u r n e d a b e n i g n smile 

on h i m and said, " W e l l , G o d is e v e r y -

w h e r e , isn't h e ? " 

T h e r e are m a n y reasons f o r the every-

w h e r e n e s s of rare book rooms, b u t the t w o 

p r i n c i p a l ones are the innate g e n e r o s i t y of 

the A m e r i c a n c o l l e g e a l u m n u s , and the 

c o u n t r y ' s t a x l a w s . P l e a s e n e v e r f o r g e t 

t h a t the g e n e r o s i t y preceded the t a x l a w s , 

t h o u g h u n q u e s t i o n a b l y the t a x l a w s h a v e 

e n c o u r a g e d the g e n e r o s i t y . B a r r i n g a pro-

longed depression or an a t o m i c c a t a s t r o p h e , 

these t w o m a j o r f o r c e s w i l l c o n t i n u e to 

operate, and rare book r o o m s w i l l c o n t i n u e 

to g r o w in n u m b e r and in size. W h a t 

* Paper presented at dinner meeting of A C R L , Phila-
delphia, Pa., July S, 1955. 

special needs w i l l be created by this t r e n d — 

indeed, are being created a l r e a d y ? 

First, the need to t r a i n a g r o u p of pro-

fessional bibliophiles, or b o o k - l o v i n g profes-

sionals. 

Second, the need to e x p a n d and i n t e g r a t e 

p r i v a t e l y - f o r m e d collections of rare books 

into fields of special c o n c e n t r a t i o n of use to 

the f a c u l t y , and, t h r o u g h t h e m , of s t i m u l u s 

to the students. 

Third, the need to enter n e w areas of 

c o l l e c t i n g . 

Fourth, the need to inspire p r i v a t e collec-

tors, and to give them constant e n c o u r a g e -

m e n t and g u i d a n c e . 

T h e s e seem to me the p r i n c i p a l needs, 

and I should like to e x p l o r e w i t h y o u 

briefly some proposals f o r d e a l i n g w i t h 

t h e m . 

Y o u w i l l ask at once w h a t I mean by 

professional bibliophile, or b o o k - l o v i n g pro-

fessional. I m e a n a person trained in the 

use of books and m a n u s c r i p t s w h o has an 

a b i d i n g f a i t h in their i m p o r t a n c e and a 

v e n e r a t i o n f o r them as physical objects. 

R i c h a r d D e B u r y described such a m a n six 

h u n d r e d years ago, w h e n he said he should 

p r e f e r slim p a m p h l e t s to f a t p a l f r e y s . H e 

m u s t believe in the recorded w o r d as the 

basic source of k n o w l e d g e and u n d e r s t a n d -

i n g . H e m u s t appreciate the v i r t u e s in-

herent in the o r i g i n a l , as c o m p a r e d w i t h a 

p h o t o g r a p h i c r e p r o d u c t i o n . B u t he m u s t 

go beyond this, and k n o w t h a t t r u t h , that 

elusive, t h a t m e r c u r i a l substance, is to be 

learned not f r o m one w i t n e s s , but f r o m the 

testimony of m a n y , and that even the least 

of a n y c l o u d of witnesses has s o m e t h i n g of 

v a l u e to c o n t r i b u t e , and is w o r t h y of the 

bibliophile's l o v i n g care. 

344 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



T e l e v i s i o n and radio are stiff c o m p e t i t o r s 

of the w r i t t e n w o r d . I t is t r u e t h a t Soc-

rates and C h r i s t achieved their p o w e r 

t h r o u g h the spoken, not t h e w r i t t e n w o r d . 

B u t w o u l d their influence h a v e c o n t i n u e d 

t h r o u g h the ages w i t h o u t the w r i t i n g s of 

P l a t o and the f o u r E v a n g e l i s t s ? 

W h e r e shall w e look f o r the b o o k - l o v i n g 

professionals t h a t w e need to staff o u r r a r e 

book r o o m s ? I t h i n k they w i l l best be 

f o u n d in the g r a d u a t e schools t h a t give ad-

v a n c e d t r a i n i n g in the sciences and the hu-

manities. D o not, please, m i s u n d e r s t a n d 

me w h e n I say this. I am not t r y i n g to r u n 

d o w n the l i b r a r y schools. A n y b o d y w h o has 

w o r k e d in a E u r o p e a n l i b r a r y w i l l t e s t i f y 

at once that the professional l i b r a r i a n s of 

this c o u n t r y are a t r e m e n d o u s asset to 

scholarship. B u t I f e e l t h a t the ideal rare 

book c u r a t o r is m o r e closely akin to the 

historian, the musicologist, or the E n g l i s h 

P h . D . , t h a n he is to the t e c h n i c a l l y t r a i n e d 

l i b r a r i a n . A n d I believe t h a t the c u r a t o r 

can g a i n a sufficient k n o w l e d g e of l i b r a r y 

techniques by brief i n d o c t r i n a t i o n at a li-

b r a r y school, f o l l o w e d by w o r k i n g visits to 

established rare book collections. T h e r e 

should be m o r e such w o r k i n g visits, or tem-

p o r a r y e x c h a n g e s of p e r s o n n e l ; one l e a r n s a 

g r e a t deal of p a i n t i n g or p r i n t i n g or sur-

g e r y by w o r k i n g w i t h v a r i o u s e x p e r i e n c e d 

practitioners. B u t this w h o l e s u b j e c t of 

the scholar as l i b r a r i a n is one on w h i c h D r . 

T a y l o r and D r . D a v i d c o u l d speak better 

t h a n I, because they could speak f r o m per-

sonal experience. 

L e t us t u r n n o w to a consideration of the 

rare book c o l l e c t i o n itself. I t s n u c l e u s is 

o f t e n the w o r k of one m a n . I t h i n k at 

once of the W r e n n c o l l e c t i o n at the U n i -

v e r s i t y of T e x a s , J a m e s F o r d B e l l ' s at 

M i n n e s o t a , the P h i l l i p s books bequeathed 

to H a v e r f o r d , and the L u t h e r L e w i s li-

b r a r y b o u g h t f o r T e x a s C h r i s t i a n by A m o n 

C a r t e r . T h e s e are inspiring g i f t s , t h a t 

their n e w o w n e r s h a v e e v e r y r i g h t to be 

p r o u d o f . B u t in a c c e p t i n g these m u n i f i c e n t 

g i f t s , the colleges and universities h a v e un-

d e r t a k e n an implied o b l i g a t i o n to m a i n t a i n 

and e x p a n d these collections in the decades 

to come, and to m a k e them even m o r e use-

f u l to scholars t h a n they n o w are. If the 

collections r e m a i n static, they w i l l become 

like M i s s H a v i s h a m ' s m o l d e r i n g b r i d a l 

banquet t h a t so astonished P i p in Great 

Expectations. 

A n e n e r g e t i c acquisitions p r o g r a m is 

t h e r e f o r e a necessity. T o continue to b u y 

books o n l y if they m e n t i o n tobacco, glass, 

or c o t t o n , to restrict the c o l l e c t i o n to books 

d e a l i n g w i t h the Spanish S o u t h w e s t or the 

a r t of n a v i g a t i o n , w o u l d be rather s t u l t i f y -

i n g in the eyes of a progressive f a c u l t y . 

N e w avenues of d e v e l o p m e n t m u s t be ex-

plored, and here the w i s e c u r a t o r w i l l seek 

advice and assistance. T h e successful ac-

quisitions p r o g r a m requires the e q u a l par-

ticipation and cooperation of three p e o p l e : 

the l i b r a r i a n , the f a c u l t y m e m b e r , and the 

a n t i q u a r i a n bookseller. I t goes w i t h o u t 

s a y i n g t h a t the g r o u p that is most a c t i v e l y 

concerned w i t h using the m a t e r i a l , the 

f a c u l t y , m u s t be aroused to its opportunities 

and responsibilities. I k n o w t h a t there are 

rare book custodians w h o r e g a r d the f a c u l t y 

as a nuisance, j u s t as there are l i b r a r i a n s 

w h o r e g a r d readers as a necessary evil, but 

these c u r m u d g e o n s are a d y i n g race. T h e 

m a n I have called a professional bibliophile 

w i l l w e l c o m e the help of the f a c u l t y , and 

w i l l k n o w also h o w to keep it in its place, 

since he himself w a s once a m e m b e r of t h a t 

g o o d l y c o m p a n y . 

T h e need f o r the p a r t i c i p a t i o n of the 

booksellers m u s t also be stressed. T h e s e 

are m e n w h o t r u l y love books. M o s t of 

t h e m could have m a d e a f a r better l i v i n g in 

some other o c c u p a t i o n . T h e y are g e n e r a l l y 

t h o r o u g h i n d i v i d u a l i s t s w i t h a w e a l t h of 

experience acquired at their o w n expense. 

I h a v e a l w a y s f o u n d their advice and assist-

ance w e l l w o r t h the p r o f i t they c h a r g e on 

OCTOBER, 1955 345 



their w a r e s . T h e c u r a t o r and f a c u l t y m e m -

ber should d e v e l o p c o n t a c t s w i t h a f e w a l e r t 

booksellers, n e v e r j u s t one, and m a k e use 

of their k n o w l e d g e and t h e i r sources. 

I c o n s t a n t l y hear the c o m p l a i n t t h a t the 

b o o k w o r l d is r u n n i n g o u t of m a t e r i a l w o r t h 

c o l l e c t i n g . T h i s is s u r e l y one of the most 

m y o p i c of p o p u l a r errors. I t is t r u e t h a t 

certain areas a r e v i r t u a l l y e x h a u s t e d . T h e 

c o l l e c t o r of C a x t o n s or Shakespeare q u a r t o s 

has doubtless e m b a r k e d on a f r u s t a t i n g and 

expensive p u r s u i t . B u t there are p l e n t y of 

other t h i n g s to c o l l e c t , and the m a i n in-

g r e d i e n t s necessary in f o r m i n g a c o l l e c t i o n 

t h a t w i l l be of s c h o l a r l y v a l u e are i m a g i n a -

tion and perseverance. T h e i n s t i t u t i o n a l 

c o l l e c t o r m u s t exercise these j u s t as m u c h 

as the p r i v a t e c o l l e c t o r , and this is w h y he 

m u s t k n o w w h a t w i l l be u s e f u l to his 

f a c u l t y and w h a t he can reasonably expect 

to secure f r o m the b o o k - t r a d e on his b u d g -

et. H e w i l l do w e l l to r e m e m b e r too t h a t 

the w o r d is recorded e l s e w h e r e t h a n in books 

and m a n u s c r i p t s : one of the most v a l u a b l e 

collections is t h a t f o r m e d by A l l a n N e v i n s 

and his c o h o r t s at C o l u m b i a , the a u t o b i o g -

raphies of f a m o u s m e n , recorded on tape. 

H a v i n g said this m u c h a b o u t the rare 

book c o l l e c t i o n i t s e l f , I w a n t to ask y o u to 

consider w h e t h e r y o u like t h a t n a m e — " r a r e 

book r o o m . " I s n ' t it a r a t h e r stand-offish 

t e r m ? D o e s n ' t it sound a w f u l l y precious 

and e x c l u s i v e ? I f e a r it has d e v e l o p e d w h a t 

the semanticists w o u l d call a p e r j o r a t i v e con-

n o t a t i o n . A n d it is no l o n g e r sufficiently 

inclusive. C a n ' t w e t h i n k of s o m e t h i n g 

better, like the t e r m "special c o l l e c t i o n s " ? 

" S p e c i a l c o l l e c t i o n s " implies a scope 

broad e n o u g h to i n c l u d e the E a s t e r n c u l -

tures, a possible d e v e l o p m e n t of the f u t u r e , 

a l t h o u g h n o w it is u n d e n i a b l y t r u e that the 

rare book rooms of o u r c o l l e g e and uni-

v e r s i t y libraries are 9 9 % devoted to A m e r i -

can and E u r o p e a n history; science, and 

l i t e r a t u r e . A s N o r m a n C o u s i n s pointed o u t 

in a r e c e n t e d i t o r i a l in the Saturday Re-

view, " e x c e p t f o r a h a n d f u l of colleges and 

universities, h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n in A m e r i c a 

has n e v e r gone beyond w h a t are l a r g e l y 

e m p t y g e n e r a l i z a t i o n s a b o u t the m a j o r i t y of 

the w o r l d ' s peoples. . . . W e v e n e r a t e w h a t 

w e c a l l the h u n d r e d g r e a t e s t books, b u t the 

titles t h a t have the g r e a t e s t m e a n i n g f o r 

m o r e t h a n one billion people are a l m o s t 

t o t a l l y i g n o r e d . " T h e C h a r l e s A m e s col-

lection of m a t e r i a l c o n c e r n i n g southeast A s i a 

is still a p r i v a t e l i b r a r y in S t . P a u l , t h o u g h 

I u n d e r s t a n d it w i l l u l t i m a t e l y g o to the 

U n i v e r s i t y of M i n n e s o t a . 

T h i s b r i n g s me to m y f o u r t h and last 

m a j o r n e e d — t h e need to inspire p r i v a t e 

c o l l e c t o r s . T o d a y ' s p r i v a t e c o l l e c t o r s pro-

v i d e the m a t e r i a l s f o r t o m o r r o w ' s libraries. 

Y e t c o l l e c t o r s are a l w a y s c o m p l a i n i n g about 

lack of e n c o u r a g e m e n t in the p u r s u i t of 

their hobbies. T h e rich libraries, one hears, 

are b u y i n g up e v e r y t h i n g w o r t h w h i l e . T h e 

b i g collections are no l o n g e r b e i n g dispersed 

at a u c t i o n , b u t are t r a n s f e r r e d en bloc to 

institutions, i m p r i s o n i n g t h e i r treasures 

f o r e v e r . C o l l e c t o r s in s m a l l e r c o m m u n i t i e s 

find no one to t a l k t o — t h e i r f r i e n d s f r o m 

the c o u n t r y c l u b or the office o n l y ask t h a t 

g a l l i n g question, h a v e y o u r e a l l y read a l l 

these b o o k s ? N o w some of y o u m a y t h i n k 

t h a t a l l c o l l e c t o r s are harmless n e u r o t i c s 

a n y w a y , and t h a t y o u can a f f o r d to disre-

g a r d their c o m p l a i n t s . N o t so. L i b r a r i a n s 

m u s t pursue a n u m b e r of m e t h o d s f o r en-

c o u r a g i n g and g u i d i n g collectors. T a l k to 

t h e m a b o u t their books, let t h e m k n o w of 

p u r c h a s i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s in their special 

fields, sell t h e m duplicates, o f f e r them liba-

tions in the interests of bibliophily, and 

keep their spirits up. D o n ' t a l w a y s r u n 

a f t e r t h e m f o r m o n e y — t h e y m a y t h i n k their 

book purchases are better t h a n y o u r s . A n d 

d o n ' t keep pressing t h e m to m a k e n e w w i l l s 

l e a v i n g their libraries t o y o u - k n o w - w h a t 

c o l l e g e . W h a t e v e r y o u do, d o n ' t let the 

a m a t e u r of books, the p r i v a t e c o l l e c t o r , be-

come e x t i n c t . 

346 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES