ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

Sookmyung Women's University Library holds approximately 1.3 million books, among which approximately 10,000 are old books (古書). However, thus far, the library has not appointed a librarian specializing in old books, and, consequently, has not published a dedicated catalog for these materials. The total number of old books that can be identified through the library’s website differs from the number in files managed by the library staff, making it difficult to determine the exact number. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to establish the accurate total by using the number recorded in the staff-managed files as a baseline, supplemented by a physical survey and a reexamination of what would constitute an old book. Once this groundwork has been done, further bibliographic and content analyses of each confirmed old book will help reveal the full scope and value of the library’s collection. As a comprehensive catalog of old books has not been compiled, the Sookmyung collection has remained largely unnoticed by both the general public and specialist researchers. Although a limited selection of these books has been displayed externally—such as during the old book exhibitions in 1961 and 1988 and the museum donation exhibition in 2009—only some 700 books were introduced at these three events. However, the descriptions provided were sometimes inaccurate, failing to offer precise information for researchers. Despite these challenges, it is encouraging that some researchers have recently begun to study parts of the collection. If a comprehensive survey and organization of the entire old book collection is completed, it is expected that a broader and more diverse range of research would follow thereon.

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