Essays in Librarianship and Bibliography

"Essays in Librarianship and Bibliography" by Richard Garnett is a compilation of writings that looks at the world of libraries and books during the late 1800s. The collection shines a light on how libraries were run back then, discussing their history, how books were organized, and the use of new scientific ideas in libraries. Garnett's work considers both the progress libraries had made and what they could still improve. He sets the stage by describing how these essays came to be, explaining they were created for fellow librarians or to solve problems libraries faced. He considers the move to printed catalogs, paying close attention to the British Museum and weighing the good and bad of this shift and brings up fresh technologies like the sliding press and using photography to copy documents, celebrating how these inventions made libraries work better and become more accessible. Ultimately, the collection opens arguing for doing things in a structured and methodical way in library work.