This afternoon I was delighted to attend a reception at the Principal’s Lodging to mark the presentation of two books to the Library. The books have been purchased for Special Collections using a generous gift made by Lady Joan Williams via the Friends of Glasgow University Library. Lady Williams (herself a Friend of the Library) made the donation to commemorate the life and work of her husband, Principal Sir Alwyn Williams.
Sir Alwyn Williams (1921-2004) began his career at the University in the Department of Geology, and two books on paleontology (his particular field of expertise) have been bought to add to our collections, thus helping to enhance our outstanding research resources in the history of science. Both books were published in the 19th century and are gloriously illustrated with detailed lithographs. One relates to the paleontology of the Miocene period (that’s a long time ago to a rare book librarian, but apparently – at only about 23 million years in the past – not so long to a geologist …) and the second explores recent and fossil Echinodermata (and that’s starfish and sea urchins to most of us). Both books are now catalogued and available for consultation in our reading room.
We are, as ever, most grateful to the Friends for their ongoing support of Special Collections – and if you would like to find out more about their work and activities, I would encourage you to visit their website. Maybe see you at their next event!
Categories: Library, Special Collections
Tags: acquistions, donations, fossils, Friends of GUL, geology books, history of science, paleontology, rare books, Special Collections
Glasgow Incunabula Project update (9/5/13) 
Vox Populi – Remembering 1979 
