John Willis Clark
Libraries in the Medieval and Renaissance Periods
The Rede Lecture Delivered June 13, 1894
"Libraries in the Medieval and Renaissance Periods" by John Willis Clark is a lecture delivered in 1894. Originally presented at the University of Cambridge with lantern slides, it traces the evolution of libraries from ancient Rome through the Renaissance. Clark explores monastic book collections, the growth of university libraries at Oxford and Cambridge, and distinctive practices like chaining books to shelves. The work examines how religious customs influenced academic library design and how the advent of printing transformed library practices across centuries.