Shaping the past: how donors influenced Becker Library’s rare book collections

Authors

  • Elisabeth Brander Washington University in St. Louis

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1551

Keywords:

rare books, special collections, history of medicine

Abstract

Rare book collections do not form in a vacuum; they are shaped by the individuals who assemble and curate them. This is certainly the case with the rare book holdings of Becker Medical Library at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. This paper examines some of the most significant donors to Becker’s rare book collections in order to explore how these collections are a reflection of the interests and priorities of the physicians who assembled them, and also raises the issue of how the makeup of these collections create a Western-focused narrative regarding the history of medicine.    

References

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Published

2023-03-24

Issue

Section

History Matters