This document discusses the history and importance of bibliographies focused on Devon, England and the city of Exeter. It provides context on different types of bibliographies and outlines proposals to restart and expand an online Devon bibliography. This would involve collaborating with local institutions, publishers, organizations and volunteers to fill gaps in coverage since 2011 and make records freely accessible online. The goal is to celebrate Exeter's designation as a UNESCO City of Literature and preserve the heritage of books in Devon.
Devon Book. D-83. The Devon bibliography : its future and importance
1. The heritage of the book in Devon and Exeter
D-83
The Devon bibliography
its importance and future
A series of presentations
to celebrate the designation
of Exeter
as UNESCO city of literature
in 2019
The book fool, from The ship of fools,
translated by Alexander Barclay in 1509.
The first book by a Devon writer
to appear in print.
2. Search on major internet search engines
January 2021
Place Google Bing Yahoo Yippy
Devon 199,000,000 47,500,000 47,500,000 383,008,596
Exeter 61,500,000 39,700,000 39,800,000 320,001,776
Plymouth 205,000,000 53,400,000 53,400,000 464,005,478
Dartmoor 9,760,000 4,310,000 4,320,000 28,900,265
Brentor 149,000 62,800 62,800 262,007
Newton St Cyres 196,000 151,000 151,000 346,008
Abbots Bickington 132,000 74,500 74,500 486,005
3. Bibliography
The study of books
Types of bibliography
• Historical bibliography – the history of books
• Enumerative bibliography – the listing of books
National bibliographies:
Book trade bibliographies:
Regional bibliographies
Author bibliographies.
Subject bibliographies.
Genres: maps, prints.
• Analytical bibliography –the forensic examination of books
Also referred to as textual bibliography
• Descriptive bibliography – the detailed description of books
4. The route book of Devon. – Exeter : Henry Besley , [1845].
– The first edition, largely prepared for publication in
1843.
Analytical bibliography
An example from Devon
5. The route book of Devon. – Exeter : Henry Besley , [1846]. – The second edition.
6. The route book of Devon. – Exeter : Henry Besley , [1850]. – New edition.
7. The route book of
Devon. – Exeter : Henry
Besley , [1850]. – New
edition. With vignettes
and Besley’s hand book
advertiser c. 1856.
8. The route book of Devon. – Exeter : Henry Besley , [1850]. –
New edition with Besley’s hand book advertiser for c.1869.
9. Greg, W. W. A bibliography of the English
printed drama to the restoration. (1959).
Catalogue entry with quasi-facsimile title-
page transcription, collational formula and
extensive notes.
Descriptive bibliography ; a classic example
11. Churches 450 to include urban parishes
Commercial publishers 25 (based on 1998 Devon bibliography)
Companies 30,000 entries on database (2,000 in published directory)
Local authorities First tier 3 (Devon, Plymouth, Torbay)
Local authorities Second tier 8 (District Councils)
Local authorities Third tier 398 (Town and parish councils)
Health authorities 10 2 health authorities, 8 NHS trusts
Ethnic voluntary groups 10? (not so applicable to Devon)
Police/fire authorities 2
Political groups 25/30?
Schools 368 state schools in Devon
Universities 2 (several campuses)
Voluntary organisations 6,000 based on Community Information Database
Potential Devon publishers in 2000
Based on The legal deposit of local publications: a case study of
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, by Richard Harris, John
Feather and Margaret Evans
13. Archiving and maintenance of files
A Articles: by date & periodical title
B Books & pamphlets: by date
I Illustrations: by place & subject
M Maps: by place & year
N Newspapers: by place & year
P Periodical titles: by title
S Manuscripts: by compiler/title
T Theses: by date
W Digital data: by place & subject
Potential coverage of an on-line
Devon bibliography
Core categories:
1. Printed books, pamphlets, ephemera
2. Serials: newspapers, periodicals
3. Articles in periodicals and essay collections
4. Digital and electronic data
Other potential categories:
5. Maps
6. Illustrations
7. Theses
8. Manuscripts
(archives the responsibility of record offices)
(non-Devon research the responsibility of the
universities)
9. Sound and video recordings
(responsibility of the Sound and Television
Archive)
Potential scope of bibliography
1. Works with Devon subject content
2. Works about Devonians (by birth or
adoption)
3. Works by Devon authors
4. Works printed or published in
Devon
14. Devon bibliography : record structure in 2021
The fields (columns) are shown on an Excel spreadsheet
Information includes the field name, sample data, notes and matches to existing schemas
DB Devon bibliography field tags ISBD InternationalStandard Bibliographical Description
RIS Research Information Systems field tags RDA Research data alliance fields
JISC Joint Information Systems Committee tags MARC21 Machine-readable Cataloguing field tags
15. Congdon, Emma. Cross stitch for the soul : 20 designs to inspire / Emma Congdon, - Exeter : David & Charles, 2020. - 1 volume : illustrations ; 28 cm. - ISBN
9781446308080 (pbk.) : £16.99 ; BNB Number GBC034117. - Prepublication record. -
Copies: BL (BNB 2020-03-04). -
Subjects: Devon. Exeter. Publishers. David and Charles. Publications: Cross-stitch. Patterns.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cork, Stella. Newton St Cyres in the 1940s and 1950s : memories of the postmasterís daughter / Stella Cork. - Newton Saint Cyres : Newton Saint Cyres History Group, 2020.
- 58 pages : illustrations, maps ; 21 cm. - ISBN 9781999599614 ; £5.00. - The author was born and brought up in the village. –
Copies: Newton Saint Cyres History Group. -
Subjects: Devon. Newton Saint Cyres. Social conditions. Personal reminiscences. 1940-1960. -
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cornwall in the age of rebellion, 1490-1660 / edited by Philip Payton. - Exeter : University of Exeter Press, 2020. - 1 volume : illustrations (black and white), maps (black and
white) ; 23 cm. - ISBN 9781905816200 (hbk.) : £60.00 ; BNB Number GBC012875. - Prepublication record
Copies: BL (BNB 2020). -
Subjects: Devon. Exeter. Publishers. University of Exeter Press. Publications: Cornwall. Rebellions.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Crealy Theme Park and Resort. Most rides in Devon : Crealy family theme park. - Clyst Saint Mary : Crealy, 2020. - Folded sheet ([8] pages : colour illustrations, map ; 33 cm.
- Produced before Covid-19 cancelled many events. -
Copies: WSL: copy passed for cataloguing
Subjects: Devon. Clyst Saint Mary. Tourist attractions. Crealy Theme Park. Publicity. 2020. -
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Excel spreadsheet with records for Devon documents published in 2020
The first of the records above can be exported to a web page in the following format
16. The present situation
Challenges
Change in responsibilities individuals to institutions to public library.
Local publications are not covered by legal deposit, so not on national bbliography.
Numbers of potential local publishers.
Decline in the documentation and collection by public library.
A way ahead
Devon bibliography to be restarted
Institution to hold and support the bibliography
Encouragement of maintenance of collection building
Importance of library involvement – different approach of archivists.
Volunteers to search bibliographies, websites, bookshops, information centres.
Liaison with publishers, organisations, authors
Encouragement to deposit archival copy locally in addition to legal deposit copies.
Attempt to fill gap in coverage post-2011, including digital record
Development of platform free online wiki-style format
Acquisition of on-line database for public access
17. Exeter working papers
in book history
This talk is one of a series produced
during Lockdown 2020 to celebrate the
designation of Exeter as UNESCO city
of literature in 2019.
Most of them are also accessible
through the
Exeter working papers,
Devon bibliography and
Etched on Devon’s Memory
websites as part of the
World Book Heritage
initiative.
The book fool from Alexander Barclays’ translation of
The ship of fools (1509)
