RUSSELL LIBRARY

The main collection ranges in time from the earliest of our mediaeval manuscripts, giving an account of a council in Rheims 991, down through the centuries to 1850, with Erasmus, Bacon, MacAingil, Suárez, Boyle, Voltaire, Hannah More and so many others sitting on the shelves in printed editions that appeared in their own lifetimes, together with a full panoply of writings by their contemporaries shelved nearby.

One of the great treasures of the library is Saint Augustine's De Civitate Dei, The City of God, printed in Mainz in 1473 by Peter Schoeffer of Gernsheim. Johann Gutenberg invented printing there, for western civilization, using moveable type. He had begun printing in the mid-1450s with backing from Johannes Fust and assisted by Peter Schoeffer. Gutenberg proved financially inept and Fust took over the business, with Schoeffer. Fust died of the plague while selling his books in Paris in 1466, whereupon Schoeffer married Fust's daughter and the businesss flourished until Schoeffer died in 1503.

On heavy, creamy paper, this large folio volume of 728 pages is printed in strikingly black ink with red ink used for two heraldic shields - the device conceived by Fust and Schoeffer. De Civitate Dei was a popular text and likely to sell well, which was important. Two Mainz clerks had set up a press on the outskirts of Rome, later in the city itself and had printed three different editions of the work between 1467 and 1470. Schoeffer's edition of 1473 includes commentary by two 14th-century theologians, Thomas Waleys and Nicholas Trivet. Amongst the earliest to be printed, some of the books Schoeffer produced still rank as the finest ever made.

RUSSELL LIBRARY CATALOGUING PROJECT

This project has been in full-time operation for four years now. The principal aim of the project is to create an electronic catalogue of the pre-1850 material of the library, providing access for scholars local and international, to the wealth and variety of our collections. Subjects as diverse as Theology, Agriculture, Physics and Economics are represented here along with language and travel. The timespan of the collections covers late 15th century to mid 19th century. Some of the more interesting books have been used in exhibitions in the library, to illustrate their research value, their local connection and/or their rarity.

A PREMONITION TO THE READER........

Pearson, Anthony. 'A Premonition to the reader on the great case of tithes truly stated clearly open'd and fully resolv'd.' Dublin, printed by Isaac Jackson at the Globe in Meath-Street, in 1756.
Here is a rare pamphlet item from our collection. According to online research, this pamphlet is the only Irish copy held. Furthermore, only two other libraries worldwide hold this title (ESTC). It is interesting not only from an historical and political perspective, but also from a bibliographic perspective. It was edited by Thomas Ellwood who was a known religious controversialist and member of the Religious Society of Friends, also called Quakers. Quakers are on record as having objected to tithes from as early as 1650.

WHAT'S THE IRISH FOR LAVENDER?

This short extract from the Irish Dictionary explains entries as different as Lauds, when prayers are sung, to Lavender - Luibh deaghbholaidh, ( a sweet-smelling herb) or P. a proverb on the victor's laughter.

A CATALOGUED TREASURE

The dictionary opposite - produced in the Irish College, Paris, where a special typeface was cut from the lexicographer's own handwriting, to facilitate printing a work in Irish - is the earliest comprehensive English Irish dictionary. The printer, Jacques Guérin, knew neither English nor Irish, yet there are almost no typographical errors. Generally, printing of material in Irish at this time was accomplished outside the country and by the religious orders.

WHAT IS CONSERVATION?

Conservators are charged with the care of cultural heritage. Here in the Russell Library we are working within an historic building and on an historic collection. It is our responsibility to ensure that both building and collection are looked after for posterity

The main causes of damage to library materials are relative humidity, temperature, light, insect infestations, biological attack and handling from readers. Preventive conservation is one aspect of our brief. It is our goal that all the material under our care is housed in conservation grade materials and in high quality archival folders, boxes and cases. We replace non-archival housing on an ongoing basis.

Interventive conservation includes treatments aimed at halting or repairing damage, while retaining the object’s historical integrity. All conservation processes are governed by strict ethical guidelines to ensure the highest possible standards, and all materials are sympathetic with the original. In some cases, a book may require rebinding. We repair or replace bindings that have failed, taking care to reuse original material where possible. Typical treatments include repair of tears, cleaning of ingrained dirt, the flattening of creased and badly refolded plates or the isolation of plant specimens pressed between the pages of a book. We also work closely with our Librarian and staff producing exhibitions and displays to bring to our readers some of the stories our books have to offer.
We hope that you get the chance to visit the Russell Library and enjoy our collections

ARCHIVES

The Russell Library is the custodian of a number of important archival collections. An archivist forms part of the team and is dedicated to the preservation , protection and promotion of archival material currently in the care of the library service in NUIM. Collections undergoing professional work include the Desmond Forristal Archive the papers of

Gerald Molloy.

Information is one of the oldest and most powerful resources created by the human race. Archives are at the heart of the information society, and provide a key to interpreting past and present events. Archival collections can be distinguished from library material by the unique and irreplacable nature of the documents they contain. Collections frequently consist of a wide variety of media, including paper, vellum and parchment, photographs, maps, plans and drawings, film, video, audio recordings, databases and web pages. Users of archives can include students, scholars, local historians, genealogists and filmmakers. The main objective of the archivist is to ensure that this valuable material is safeguarded for future generations.