Library as Archive

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library is one of the largest academic Libraries in the country. It makes a particular effort to continually build its archival collection, even on what might seem to be, at first glance, arcane subjects, and it has an active donor-based strategy to do so. The diversity of archival subjects is amazing, and no more on display than in a recent Friendscript Newsletter (Spring/Summer 2024, V. 45, No. 3). The feature story is that the University acquired a rare first edition book of Plato’s works printed in Greek in Italy in 1513 by the celebrated Aldine Press, and dedicated to Pope Leo X. It is one of about 40 thought to still be extant today from an original run of about 200 copies. The not-so-lap-sized book is 400 pages in length and in excelle…