The Booklover and His Books


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

This book about books was written by Harry Lyman Koopman, who served as the head librarian for Brown University from 1893 to 1930. Published in 1917, the volume is dedicated “To the authors and their printers who have given us the books that we love.”

A collection of essays about many different aspects of books, Koopman describes it this way in the preface: “The following chapters were written during a series of years as one aspect after another of the Book engaged the writer's attention. As they are now brought together, the result is not a systematic treatise, but rather a succession of views of one many-sided subject.”

Any booklover will enjoy browsing this wide variety of essays that range from a discussion of the value and privilege of reading, to spelling reform, to aspects of the book as a physical object and a work of art. - Summary by Verla Viera (5 hr 34 min)

Chapters

Books and Booklovers 10:19 Read by Larry Wilson
Fitness in Book Design 8:45 Read by EmilyCripps
Print as an Interpreter of Meaning 8:34 Read by EmilyCripps
Favorite Book Sizes 17:49 Read by George Banfield
The Value of Reading, to the Public and to the Individual 9:39 Read by jenno
The Book of To-day and the Book of To-morrow 9:44 Read by BettyB
A Constructive Critic of the Book 12:45 Read by Sheila
Books as a Librarian Would Like Them 10:08 Read by BettyB
The Book Beautiful 24:39 Read by EmilyCripps
The Reader’s High Privilege 31:28 Read by Belinda McReynolds
The Background of the Book 22:32 Read by Arup Sen
The Chinese Book 9:23 Read by Availle
Thick Paper and Thin 10:05 Read by Paul Hampton
The Clothing of a Book 12:15 Read by Paul Hampton
Parchment Bindings 4:48 Read by jenno
Lest We Forget the Few Great Books 24:54 Read by jenno
Printing Problems for Science to Solve 9:05 Read by dc
Types and Eyes: The Problem 24:34 Read by Arup Sen
Types and Eyes: Progress 10:25 Read by dc
Exceptions to the Rule of Legibility 8:54 Read by Verla Viera
The Student and the Library 10:36 Read by EmilyCripps
Orthographic Reform 13:01 Read by KevinS
The Perversities of Type 19:51 Read by KevinS
A Secret of Personal Power 10:20 Read by Larry Wilson