Sponsor A Book!
The Sponsor A Book Appeal
The Geological Society Library’s Rare Book collection is one of the finest collections of antiquarian books on geology and related subjects, containing approximately 3500 volumes mostly published after 1800, as well as some 18th Century volumes and a few titles dating back to the 16th Century, and including impressive early volumes annotated by the 19th Century geologists who originally owned them
Despite all our care and attention, however, the years have taken their toll on the bindings of many of these works and urgent preservation work is now required. The Geological Society Library would like to invite Fellows, Corporate Affiliates and other people or companies associated with the Society to help us with the conservation of these books through our Sponsor A Book Appeal.
A special bookplate will be placed in each fully restored book with the name of the person, persons or company who sponsored its restoration and the date that the work was completed (if you wish, of course, your sponsorship can remain anonymous).
The restored books will be exhibited for a period in the Lyell Room so that Fellows and visitors can see the finished product. The names of sponsors will also appear on our website.
Details of the books in greatest need of repair can be found on the Titles to Sponsor page. If you would like to donate a smaller sum to the book of your choice, or simply make a donation to be used where it is most needed, then please see the Other Books page for more ideas.
A leaflet with information on the Sponsor A Book scheme is available to download below in a printable format:
- Download the Sponsor A Book leaflet (.pdf 723 Kb)
Latest News - July 2010
Three more items restored
The Library would like to thank Dr Christopher Howells, whose generous donation allowed us to restore Murchison’s 'Siluria' (1854) and two editions of Edward Hull’s 'Coal-fields of Great Britain' (1873 and 1881). The Library thanks Dr. Howells for sponsoring these three items which are now preserved for future generations. Pictures of the books can be seen on the Results page.
Sponsor A Manuscript
The Library is appealing for donations to help preserve one of the Society’s most important archive manuscript books. A prized treasure from the archive, this manuscript book includes numerous letters, tracts and memoirs from eminent early thinkers in geology, including:
James Sowerby’s ‘On Kimmeridge and other coals’ [Carbonaceous sediments of Dorset], a letter to the Secretary for the nomenclature enquiry. Read 3 June 1808.
Charles E. Coquebert de Montbret ‘On examining the bottom of the sea’. Letter to G.B. Greenough, 16 Feb 1816
Charles Bathurst’s ‘Some account of the geology of the country between Stamford and Bedford’ (1826).
and
Comte de Bournon’s ‘Memoire sur la Societe Geologique de Londre’ With a covering letter to W. Babington [c.1808]
The total sum needed to restore this item is £2,500. Donations of any size are welcomed gratefully to help us reach this target!