The four books in this section of the exhibition show how fifteenth-century monastic librarians recorded and organized books in their care. Three books include notes listing the contents of multi-work volumes, and two bear markings that indicate their intended locations on the monastery’s shelves. In two of the books, a librarian recorded the names of the well-known fifteenth-century donors who presented these volumes to monastic libraries as acts of pious generosity. Combined, this evidence reflects how fifteenth-century librarians managed the arrival of unprecedented quantities of the new printed books.

 

← Click on the thumbnails at left to see larger images and descriptions of the items in the exhibition.