Enfilade

Seminar on the History of Libraries — Dr. Keith Manley
Stewart House, Russell Square, London, Tuesday, 1 December 2009

The next seminar in the History of Libraries series will take place on Tuesday, December 1, in the Institute of English Studies, University of London. Dr. Keith Manley (Institute of Historical Research) will speak on Infidel Books and Subscription Libraries: Government Censorship in Europe during the Napoleonic Period. Many governments tried to prevent libraries from acquiring politically inflammatory and heretical literature. In Germany secret societies of freemasons infiltrated libraries to promote their own views of Enlightenment and world domination, while Hanover feared for the morals of its children if they were allowed access to circulating libraries. Germany and Austria banned subscription libraries, fearing their malignant influence. In France, officials kept libraries under close surveillance. In comparison, British libraries escaped lightly from tight supervision, though in Ulster several were ransacked by yeomanry. The meeting will take place at 5:30pm in Room ST 275 at Stewart House, Russell Square, London WC1E 7HU, UK. Stewart House is adjacent to, and accessible through, Senate House, Malet St. All are welcome.