Reference Library

“Your library is your paradise.”

-Desiderius Erasmus

Welcome to the Reference Library page! This is a short compiled list, by no means a comprehensive list, of reference materials you can add to build your personal reference library. The reference materials presented below are excellent whether you are a new collector, a seasoned collector, or even a seller of ancient English Bibles and books. I personally think it is crucial to have these reference materials at hand because you never know when you need them when researching a given book.

Before checking out the list below it is highly recommended to utilize these free online Bibliographical resources called the English Short Title Catalogue (ESTC) and WorldCat which is operated by Online Computer Library Center (OCLC).

ESTC is an online database that covers all years of the printing press from 1473-1800. It includes two important Short Title Catalogues (STC) with one by A. W. Pollard and G. R. Redgrave which covers England, Scotland, Ireland, and English books printed abroad from 1475-1640; and another by Donald Goddard Wing which covers England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, British America, and English books printed abroad from 1641–1700. WorldCat is an online database that allows you to search the collections of thousands of libraries around the world.

“Read first the best books. The important thing for you is not how much you know, but the quality of what you know.”

-Desiderius Erasmus

Must Have Practical Guides
  1. Carter, John, et al. John Carter’s ABC for Book Collectors. Oak Knoll Press, 2016.
  2. Werner, Sarah. Studying Early Printed Books: A Practical Guide. Wiley Blackwell, 2019.
 
Historical Catalogues Of The English Bible
  1. Dore, John Read. Old Bibles: An Account of the Early Versions of the English Bible. Second ed., Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1888.
  2. Herbert, Arthur Sumner, et al. Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of the English Bible: 1525-1961: Revised and Expanded from the Edition of T.H. Darlow and H.F. Moule, 1903. The British and Foreign Bible Society, 1968.
  3. Pope, Hugh. English Versions Of The Bible. Edited by Sebastian Bullough, B. Herder Book Co., 1952.
 
A General History Of The English Bible And The King James Bible
  1. Brake, Donald L. A Visual History of the English Bible: The Tumultuous Tale of the World’s Bestselling Book. Baker Books, 2008.
  2. Brake, Donald L. A Visual History of the King James Bible: The Dramatic Story of the World’s Best-Known Translation. Baker Books, 2011.
  3. Daniell, David. The Bible in English: Its History and Influence. Yale University Press, 2003.
  4. Hamel, Christopher De. The Book: A History of The Bible. Phaidon Press Limited, 2001.
  5. Norton, David. A Textual History of the King James Bible. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2005.
  6. Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose. The Authorized Edition of the English Bible (1611). Franklin Classics, 1910.
  7. Thomas, Alan G. Great Books and Book Collectors. Spring Books, 1988.
 
Historical Bindings And Provenance
  1. Miller, Julia. Books Will Speak Plain: A Handbook for Identifying and Describing Historical Bindings. The Legacy Press, 2010.
  2. Pearson, David. Book Ownership in Stuart England. Oxford University Press, 2021.
  3. Pearson, David. Books as History: The Importance of Books Beyond Their Texts. British Library, 2012.
  4. Pearson, David. English Bookbinding Styles: 1450-1800: A Handbook. Oak Knoll Press, 2014.
  5. Pearson, David. Provenance Research in Book History a Handbook. The Bodleian Library, 2019.