Exploring the Bancroft Library: The Centennial Guide to Its Extraordinary History, Spectacular Special Collections, Research Pleasures, Its Amazing Future, and How It All Works [Hardcover]

Charles B. Faulhaber (Author, Editor), Stephen Vincent (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2006

The Bancroft Library, one of the premier research institutions in the world, was founded in 1859 by Hubert H. Bancroft, a San Francisco bookseller, publisher, and collector. The documents and artifacts he amassed on the American West—from Alaska to Panama—were unsurpassed. In 1906 the University of California acquired the Bancroft collection and now celebrates the centennial of that acquisition. Over the past century, the library has expanded to include the Mark Twain Papers and Project, Tebtunis Papyri, rare books and manuscripts, collections in the History of Science and Technology, and other invaluable resources. In this celebratory volume, readers are introduced to the day-to-day life of an institution devoted to the collection, preservation, and study of original documents. From an in-depth look at the way material is acquired and conserved to chapters by individual curators summarizing the significance of choice archival objects, the substantive approach is particularly fitting; a handsomely illustrated design completes the tribute to a venerable institution.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Exploring the Bancroft Library is a spectacular survey of one of the foremost research institutions in the world, founded in 1860 by San Francisco bookseller and collector Hubert Bancroft. Its holdings are extensive and something the general public is unlikely to know much about, making the book a must for any literary enthusiast. It both celebrates the centennial of the library acquired by the University of California in 1906 and covers its rare, unparalleled holdings. Side topics include how material is acquired and conserved and how individual curators have contributed to the effort. While specialty collections are the likely audience, Exploring the Bancroft Library also contains plenty of general collection history and reference, lending to its interest to public library patrons. --Diane C. Donovan, California Bookwatch

About the Author

CHARLES B. FAULHABER is Professor of Spanish and James D. Hart Director of the Bancroft Library. He is the editor and past editor-in-chief of Romance Philology and associate editor of Hispania; his books include Bibliography of Old Spanish Texts; Medieval Manuscripts in the Library of the Hispanic Society of America; and Studies in Honor of Gustavo Correa. STEPHEN VINCENT is the director of Book Studio and former director of Bedford Arts, Publishers. A noted poet and essayist, he is the editor of O California: Nineteenth and Twentieth-Century Landscapes and Observations and other volumes on the American West.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 190 pages
• Publisher: Signature Books; 1st edition (October 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893663191
• ISBN-13: 978-1893663190
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,985,091 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The effect is unsurpassed., November 5, 2006

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This review is from: Exploring the Bancroft Library: The Centennial Guide to Its Extraordinary History, Spectacular Special Collections, Research Pleasures, Its Amazing Future, and How It All Works (Hardcover)

Founded in 1860 by San Francisco bookseller, publisher, and collector Hubert Howe Bancroft, The Bancroft Library became one of the premier research institutions anywhere in the world and the repository of a collection on the American West that is unsurpassed. In 1906, this private institution was acquired by the University of California and expanded to include the Mark Twain Papers and Project, the Tebtunis Papyri, Rare Books and Manuscripts, significant collections in the history of science and technology, the Regional Oral History Office, and representative materials showcasing and illustrating the sweep of Western civilization in general. "Exploring The Bancroft Library" is a collaborative production of The Bancroft Library (courtesy of the University of California) and Signature Books (an established and respected publisher based in Salt Lake City, Utah). Under the informed editorship of Charles R. Fayulhaber (Professor of Medieval Spanish Literature, University of California, Berkley, and the James D. Hart Director of The Bancroft Library) and Stephen Vincent (poet, essayist, and the director of Book Studio), "Exploring The Bancroft Library" is a centennial celebration of one of America's finest reference and resource libraries for academic scholarship. Enhanced with contributions by ten leading scholars in their respective fields, "Exploring The Bancroft Library" is a welcome addition to Library Science collections in general, and of immense interest to non-specialist general readers with respect to the Bancroft Library in particular.