Rare Book School Day One

There's just nothing like being at Rare Book School! I wish everyone could have the opportunity to experience it at some time in their lives. I am very fortunate to be here for the fourth time. Each time I have taken a course here I have met instructors who are the tops in their field, and students who are talented and eager to learn. Many who have remained friends and colleagues, always eager to lend a hand, always eager to hear how things are going. This time is proving to be no exception.

I'm here to take the Law History course taught by Michael Widener, Rare Book Librarian in the Law Library at Yale. I was not surprised, but still impressed, with the depth of his knowledge today. His experience runs deep and I have already learned so much in the first day.

I'll mention just a couple of take away points that I'll apply when I get back to WVU's Law Library. First off, I'll be taking a second look at our Dublin imprints. While cataloging some of our rare book texts I had noticed there were a few Dublin imprints, most from the publishing house of James Moore. I've learned today that most Dublin imprints are pirated editions. Shortly after the books were published in Britain they were spirited away and printed with copies appearing under a Dublin imprint within the first year of British publication. I now have a list of bibliographies that will help me to determine if our Dublin imprints are pirated or actual editions. Very exciting!

There was some talk today about Charles Viner. Viner's Abridgments, some 24 volumes of them, are a classic and standard work. There is a set in the RBR. I learned today that Viner grew so irritated with London publishers that he self published his work. Then the King tried to ban it but the work prevailed. The work was so successful that Viner was able to establish the Vinerian chair at Oxford, held by none other than Blackstone, of Blackstone's Commentaries. It's a small legal world!

We also talked about the very large volumes that comprise the Statues of the Realm today. We have a full set of these volumes in the circulating stacks in the Law Library. I learned today that they should be moved to the RBR. I'd like to check usage statistics for these volumes, as they are in excellent condition, before I move them. And I'll need to take space into consideration too, but they're definitely tops on my list of books to consider for transfer to the RBR.

To top things off, tonight's lecture was by John Robinson Block on his collection of law books. He's been in our class all day, adding comments about his collection and sharing his vast knowledge of law books. His lecture tonight was delightful but the best part was that he brought part of his collection for the entire school to see. To my surrpise he brought four volumes of early West Virginia books dealing with the succession of the state, a broadside by Waitman T. Willey and a wonderful manuscript bound in homemade woven cloth. That was truly a delight to see.

I have pages and pages of notes, starred, underlined and highlighted! There's going to be so many things to do, so many books to explore, and bibliographies to collect when I get home - and it's only Day One!