Lambeth
Palace Library contains one of the most important collections of early printed
books in any of the great national libraries, recently enriched by the large
pre-1850 printed holdings of Sion College.
The Library’s collection of printed books contains over 200,000 works, including a
Gutenberg Bible printed in 1455 and 30,000 other works dating from the
invention of printing to 1700.
The Back-a-Book scheme asks for your help in preserving the Library’s heritage for future generations. Please sponsor the vital conservation and repair of a book and play a part in the Library’s future. Following repair, each book will have a bookplate placed inside acknowledging the generosity of its sponsor.
The Library strives to preserve and safeguard the printed heritage in its care. As well as suffering from general wear and tear, the libraries of both Lambeth Palace and Sion College were bombed during World War II and many thousands of books still have unrepaired bomb damage. There is therefore a need for an extensive programme of specialist repair.
We
welcome all donations, but as a guide:
£30
will rebind a small volume in buckram
£150 will
restore a leather binding
£250 helps
conserve a volume requiring paper and binding conservation
To Back-a-Book, please complete an application form and return it to the Library.