Monday, January 16, 2023

Short book review: A Library Miscellany

Claire Cock-Starkey, A Library Miscellany. Oxford, UK: Bodleian Library, 2018. ISBN: 9781851244720.

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: trivia, libraries
Format: small hardcover
Source: Hutchins Library, Berea College

 

This is a small book of library histories, lists, and trivia. The book also looks at library collections, individuals, and facts. Many of the lists and material has an anglophile focus; the book is published by the Bodleian library. 

Some of the topics included in the book are: 

  • The ten largest libraries in the world. 
  • Some fictional libraries of note. 
  • Charles Darwin's library aboard the Beagle. 
  • Some famous librarians of note.
  • Library treasures: the Gough Map.

Overall, this is a nice small interesting book. Librarians and library fans will likely appreciate it. Readers who enjoy trivia books will probably enjoy this one. The book is nothing spectacular, but it is an easy and quick read where you learn a few things about libraries. I liked it, and I would suggest it for trivia readers and library fans. 

3 out of 5 stars. 

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