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Dissertation Information for Philip John Weimerskirch

NAME:
- Philip John Weimerskirch

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- Columbia University (USA) (1977)

ADVISORS:
- Phyllis Dain
- Allen T. Hazen

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Susan Otis Thompson
- Terry Belanger
- John Christian Larsen
- Ray L. Trautman
- Richard L. Darling

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: ANTONIO PANIZZI'S ACQUISITIONS POLICIES FOR THE LIBRARY OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM

Abstract:
Antonio Panizzi, the great librarian of the

British
Museum during the early part of the

Victorian period, made
numerous reforms in the administration of

the library and
acquired a large number of books both old

and new. This
study attempts to show what his book

selection policies
were and how he carried them out in

practice. It is based
largely on Panizzi's unpublished reports to

the trustees
of the British Museum, hiscorrespondence

with book dealers,
and certain Parliamentary Papers.
Panizzi placed strong emphasis on collecting

materials
which were not readily available to students

and scholars
elsewhere in England. He gave first priority

to rare books,
ephemera, costly and "voluminous"

publications, and he also
purchased much of what was being published

in Europe and
the United States as well as the more

important books published
in other areas.
His aim was to make the library of the

British Museum
the greatest in the world, and although he

did not succeed
in surpassig the bibliotheque Nationale in

size
he certainly gave the British Museum one of

the tinest
general research collections ever brought

together. When
he became Keeper of Printed Sooks in 1837

the library had
some 240,000 volumes, mostly acquired by

gift and bequest.
Nineteen years later, when he became

director of the entire
British Museum, the library contained more

than 530,000
volumes, many of those added having been

purchased. It
has been said that in 1856 the library had

the greatest
collection ot British and American books in

the world and
tbe greatest collection ot books trom many

other countries
outside the countries themselves.
The collections which had been acquired

before 1837
were systematically developed under

Panizzi's guidance,
and a substantial number of early printed

books, books
with important manuscript notes, collections

of ballads,
broadsides, chapbooKs and other similar

researcb materials
were purcbased.
Panizzi obtained a large increase 1n the

book budget
and several special grants for purchases.

Through his
reports to the trustees, his lobbying

efforts with a large
circle of influential friends, and

especially by an extensive
survey of the library's resources, be showed

what
the needs of the library were, and be

enlisted the support
of tbe trustees and the government in making

the library
in manT ways the finest in existence. He set

the tone for
the future growth o! the library, and his

policies have been
followed essentially to this day.

MPACT Scores for Philip John Weimerskirch

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:01:52

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Students under Philip John Weimerskirch

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None