Special Problems Of Special Collections

T LIBRARY of Duke Frederigo of Montefeltre, Count of Urbino, (14441482 A.D.) was described by his librarian and biographer Vespasiano1 as containing one perfect copy of every known work at that time, sacred or profane, in the original tongue or in translation. The duties of the librarian were clearly stated in a code issued under Guidobaldo I, son of Frederigo:2 He must be not only learned but of pleasing personality . . . keeping an inventory of the books and having them so arranged that they can be reached easily. . . . According to Vespasiano,3 the collection began with the Latin poets and their commentators, then the orators, historians, philosophers (Roman and Greek, the latter in Latin translation). Next, sacred subjects, astrology, medicine, mathematics, followed by "modern" writers, such as Petrarch, and finally an array of Greek poets. According to Vespasiano, the collection was not contaminated by the presence of even one printed book. However, the last Duke of Urbino (1549-1631) did not share Frederigo's distaste for printed books; he formed a separate library especially for them. An "Index vetus" was discovered, probably preceding Vespasiano's catalog, containing additional lists of books of miscellaneous nature, prefaced by headings such as "Books not bound in parchment," or "Books in the Mother-Tongue," or "Books which were in the other Library." It is difficult to believe that this Renaissance library of about twelve hundred titles may serve as an example in pointing out all problems and aspects of special collections. Each