How do you Reconstruct a Historic Private Library? A Methodological Review and Checklist for First-Time Historical-Bibliographic Sleuths

Abstract

Despite the number of studies which set out to reconstruct an individual’s library, critical reviews of the methodology of library reconstruction seem to be lacking within the discourse of library history. So, the question arises, ‘How do you reconstruct a historic, private library?’ This article examines the practical ‘how to’ of library reconstruction with a view to offering guidance to librarians and, particularly, to students and new researchers who have encountered the remnants of, or clues to, ‘lost’ libraries and wondered where to go from there. As such, the article reviews the approaches used in previous reconstructions and considers whether these might be distilled into a reconstruction checklist which may guide the researcher as to actions to take and issues to consider when embarking on their reconstruction project.