Advice on Establishing a Library
Quick Summary
Gabriel Naudé's Advice on Establishing a Library (1627) is considered the first modern treatise on library economy. Naudé, a French physician and librarian, advocated for a scholarly library that systematically organized the entirety of recorded knowledge and was accessible to all scholars.12
His work marked a shift towards modern library practices. Naudé's concepts influenced later librarians, such as Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who envisioned a national bibliographical organization for easy access to information. Naudé's own efforts included building Cardinal Mazarin's library in Paris, which was renowned for its extensive collection and its motto, "Come in, all you who desire to read," emphasizing its open access policy.21
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