The library which Leiden University bought in 1690 from the heirs of Isaac Vossius (1618-1689) had a reputation with his contemporaries to be the best and most complete private library of its time.... Show moreThe library which Leiden University bought in 1690 from the heirs of Isaac Vossius (1618-1689) had a reputation with his contemporaries to be the best and most complete private library of its time. This acquisition of more than 700 manuscripts and about 4,000 printed books doubled the Academy’s collections at one stroke and made an architectural extension for the library necessary. The private collector Isaac Vossius had more means and resources at his disposal to keep up with the scientific developments of his time than the librarian of the institutional library of the university. Books by Galilei, Descartes and Newton became available in the Leiden University Library for the first time in 1690. Reconstructing the medical, philosophical and mathematical sections of Vossius’s library provides insight in the sources he may have used for his own scholarly production, which he wrote during the second half of his life. A careful analysis of the printed books reveals many provenances of contemporary scholars and earlier bookcollectors. It shows to what extent Isaac Vossius stood on the shoulders of men like Joseph Scaliger, Hugo Grotius, his own father Gerardus Johannes Vossius and many others of which he owned books and manuscripts. Show less
Along the Rapenburg, the main canal in the town of Leiden, stands the Bibliotheca Thysiana. Founded in 1655, it is the only purpose-built seventeenth-century library in the Netherlands. The... Show more Along the Rapenburg, the main canal in the town of Leiden, stands the Bibliotheca Thysiana. Founded in 1655, it is the only purpose-built seventeenth-century library in the Netherlands. The building contains several thousands of books on all kinds of subjects, including classical literature, theology, philosophy, law, history, science, mathematics, astronomy, medicine and botany. Most of these books were collected by the jurist Joannes Thysius. In his testament, drawn up only a few days before he died at the age of 31, Thysius declared that his books should be placed in a public library in order to be used by scholars. In this dissertation, Thysius’ motives for collecting books are reconstructed on the basis of his personal life, and in relation to contemporary literature about the nature of an ideal library. Furthermore, a comparison is made between his collection and those of contemporary scholars and professionals in order to determine whether he succeeded in composing a library that would suit his purpose. Show less
