Friday, 16 March 2012
Book sale!
Be sure to visit CBU Library in person to find some gems for only $1! Topics are varied and may include books on early Canadian history, architecture, race relations, business, fiction, or just about anything else. Check often for best selection.
Monday, 12 March 2012
Diderot
The crown jewel of the Fortress of Louisbourg's library is Denis Diderot's Encyclopedie, ou Dictionnaire raisonne des sciences, des arts et des metiers, par une societe de gens de lettres. Originally published over a span of 21 years (1751-1772), Diderot's Encyclopedie ambitiously set out to document every aspect of knowledge, the first of its kind during the Enlightenment. The publication is massive, consisting of 17 volumes of text, 4 volumes of supplements, and another 12 volumes of plates (images, maps, and short descriptions). Reportedly, staff at the Fortress of Louisbourg purchased the complete set from a bookseller in Paris in 1968.
Encyclopedie is so provocative because Diderot sought to document all aspects of life, without regard for appeasing certain audiences. He was determined to publish honestly.
Encyclopedie is so provocative because Diderot sought to document all aspects of life, without regard for appeasing certain audiences. He was determined to publish honestly.
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| Diderot, by Louis-Michel van Loo, 1767 |
Saturday, 10 March 2012
A Variety of Topics
What types of books were held at the Fortress of Louisbourg library? The library itself was kept in an administrative building and was accessible to staff at the Fortress and other National Parks across Canada. The relocation of the books to Cape Breton University will enable the public to borrow the books from the general collection or to view the rare books in the Beaton Institute's reading room. I will describe how to find the books in CBU's collection in a later post, but for now I want to talk a bit about the topics collected by the Fortress's library.
An impressive breadth of topics is covered by the library's collection. From bibles to architectural plans, the Library of Congress's classification system is fairly represented. Here are a few (sometimes surprising) topics covered:
- Bibles and instructive religious material. Of particular interest is a Latin bible published in 1666 in remarkable condition.
- Histories of towns in England, France, United States, and eastern Canada. There is a focus on cities with a strong French heritage, such as Montreal and New Orleans.
- Cultural studies exploring race, class, customs and practices, dress; Acadian, Puritan, Loyalist, Mi'kmaq, British, French, American
- Architecture from European masterpieces to pioneer settlements
- Art books profiling Renaissance masters in painting, drawing and music
- Military tactics, biographies of generals, profiles of forts contemporary to Louisbourg
- Law and legislation
- Fiction set in Louisbourg
- Educational material intended for the general public, school-aged children
Please note that many of the Fortress's books are published in French.
An impressive breadth of topics is covered by the library's collection. From bibles to architectural plans, the Library of Congress's classification system is fairly represented. Here are a few (sometimes surprising) topics covered:
- Bibles and instructive religious material. Of particular interest is a Latin bible published in 1666 in remarkable condition.
- Histories of towns in England, France, United States, and eastern Canada. There is a focus on cities with a strong French heritage, such as Montreal and New Orleans.
- Cultural studies exploring race, class, customs and practices, dress; Acadian, Puritan, Loyalist, Mi'kmaq, British, French, American
- Architecture from European masterpieces to pioneer settlements
- Art books profiling Renaissance masters in painting, drawing and music
- Military tactics, biographies of generals, profiles of forts contemporary to Louisbourg
- Law and legislation
- Fiction set in Louisbourg
- Educational material intended for the general public, school-aged children
Please note that many of the Fortress's books are published in French.
Friday, 9 March 2012
Introduction
The Fortress of Louisbourg is one of Parks Canada's National Historic Sites. Located in south-east Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, the fortress was reconstructed in the 1960s. The battles fought at Louisbourg by the English, the French, and the Americans determined the course of history in North America. The siege of 1745 is recognized as a key event in history.
In 2011, Parks Canada downsized its inventories and, as a result, its library was decommissioned and transferred to Cape Breton University in a Memorandum of Understanding. The material numbers over 30,000 items and includes books, rare books, AV material, and archival material.
The purpose of this blog is to showcase some of the treasures from the Fortress of Louisbourg Library that are now housed at Cape Breton University. The bulk of books have been integrated in the general collection at CBU Library, whereas the rare books and archival material are now a part of the Beaton Institute, the main repository for rare documentary material on Cape Breton Island.
In 2011, Parks Canada downsized its inventories and, as a result, its library was decommissioned and transferred to Cape Breton University in a Memorandum of Understanding. The material numbers over 30,000 items and includes books, rare books, AV material, and archival material.
The purpose of this blog is to showcase some of the treasures from the Fortress of Louisbourg Library that are now housed at Cape Breton University. The bulk of books have been integrated in the general collection at CBU Library, whereas the rare books and archival material are now a part of the Beaton Institute, the main repository for rare documentary material on Cape Breton Island.
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