Crowdfunding for Conservation

Success! Thank you all so much!

The campaign really took off and we’re delighted by the response. It finished by exceeding our initial target!

What are we doing?

The majority of the Library’s collections comprise of books and manuscripts dating from between the 15th – 18th centuries – the oldest book we have dates from the 1400s! As you can guess, our books’ great ages means that they often need a little looking after – and some more so than others.

The Library has a small on-site conservation lab where items can be prepped to go on exhibition, or receive general conservation work. Though we have access to this wonderful resource, the amount of work of this nature that we can afford to do is entirely dependent on external donations. Every single cent the Library receives from members of the public goes towards the conservation of our collections.

There are thousands of items in our collections that need some form of work. For this campaign we selected three especially fascinating volumes that really captured people’s imagination!

These are:

– A first-edition of Isaac Newton’s Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, dating from 1686. Newton’s Principia was the work in which he discussed his famed law of gravitation and laws of motion, and is considered one of the most historically significant scientific works ever written.

– A volume of John Milton treatises dating from 1644, which includes copies of his famed works such as ‘Of Education’, ‘The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce’, and the Areopagitica – one of the earliest defences of the right to a free press.

– A volume of debates for and against the use of astrology in matters of politics and state, dating from the early 1600s, and including a work by the English academic John Chamber. This book in particular is known to have been read by Bram Stoker, and deals with the use of astrology and magic in the prediction of political events – a dangerous occupation for those involved in its practice.

Each of these books requires a substantial amount of conservation work, and it is our hope that you will help us in ensuring they can receive the treatment they need.

Where will the money go?

Our target of €3115 was the minimum needed to conserve the three books we have chosen.

We have other books awaiting TLC and there will be further campaigns in the future: watch this space and thanks again!