Personal Libraries in the National Museum – a Valuable Source of Information on the History of Book Culture in the 19th Century and the Early 20th Century

Abstract

Book collections from the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century preserved in the NM are among the richest and most interesting book collections of the Czech Republic. Research into personal book collections of the NM within the NAKI project (2012–2015), including besides the historical book collection also books from the 19th and 20th centuries, has provided valuable information on the history of the entire book culture. The PROVENIO database is an important source of information and knowledge in terms of book owners and ownership provenance, library history, bibliophilia and the reception by readers, as well as the history of book binding, book publishing houses and book trade of the given period.