Cambridge Bibliographical Society

About Us

The Cambridge Bibliographical Society was founded on 20 January 1949 for the promotion and publication of bibliographical studies. The Society holds regular meetings at Cambridge University Library and its summer AGM is usually accompanied by a visit to a Cambridge library. Membership of the Society is open to all those interested in bibliography, and members receive the publications as part of their annual subscription. The Society publishes occasional monographs as well as the annual, peer reviewed Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society and welcomes offers of papers from members and non-members alike. General correspondence and applications for membership should be addressed to the Cambridge Bibliographical Society, University Library, West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DR (email: cbs@lib.cam.ac.uk). For further information, see Membership and Subscriptions.

Events (all 5.00pm in the Milstein Rooms, University Library)

Thursday 3 April 2025: Dr James Freeman - curator tour of the University Library's exhibition 'Curious Cures: Medicine in the Medieval World'

• The Curious Cures project, led by Dr James Freeman, has sought to digitise, catalogue and conserve over 180 medieval medical manuscripts, in addition to transcribing over 8000 hitherto unpublished medical recipes contained within them. This tour will take place in the exhibition centre and places are limited. Please contact Dr Liam Sims to book a slot (email ls457@cam.ac.uk). 

Thursday 1 May 2025: Saskia Barnard - 'The Origins and Development of Richard Fitzwilliam's Library'

• This talk describes the findings of the first comprehensive study of Richard Fitzwilliam's library, and specifically his printed book collection, housed at his eponymous Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Focussing primarily on his 'early' library - from the first books he collected as a child to the end of his studies at Cambridge - it will discuss why his library developed as it did, in biographical, material, and historical terms.

Thursday 26 June 2025: AGM at Queens' College Library followed by a display and visit to the Old Library, and a drink reception (4.30-6.30).

Journal Submissions

The Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society is a blind refereed journal, publishing high quality articles on all aspects of bibliography. Issues include substantial articles as well as brief notes. Whilst submissions on all subjects are welcome, the Editor particularly welcomes those which have, in the widest sense, some Cambridge connections—those, for example, which deal with manuscripts or printed books in Cambridge libraries, books printed at Cambridge or written by Cambridge authors. Offers of papers for the Transactions and requests for the stylesheet should be addressed to the Editor, Dr Liam Sims, Rare Books Specialist, Cambridge University Library, West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DR (email: ls457@cam.ac.uk). Most issues of the journal are available via JSTOR and may be purchased in print using the Paypal links at this page. The next double issue of the Transactions: XVII, part 3-4 (2022-23) is delayed, but should appear in summer 2025.

The most recent published issue of the Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society for 2021 (vol. XVII, part 2), appeared in November 2023 and may be purchased by non-members via the Paypal link below:

Roger Lovatt: 'Register of scribes & members of the book trade in medieval Cambridge' / David Carlson: 'Early printing in Cambridge: Richard Croke & the authorship of John Siberch's 1522 Hermathena' / Scott Mandelbrote: 'Humanist, Galenic Physician and Royal Doctor: the books of Thomas Wendy' / N. Scott Amos: 'BL Lansdowne MS 931, fols. 1r-27r and the disappearance (and rediscovery) of items in the Parker Library' / C. D. Preston: 'Financing a county flora in the eighteenth century: Richard Relhan's Flora Cantabrigiensis (1785)' / Laure Miolo: 'Practising the scientia stellarum in the Franciscan custody of Cambridge: Thomas de Wyndele (fl. 1390-1424) and his astronomical book'.

The issue for 2020 (vol. XVII, part 1) contained the following papers and may be purchased by non-members via the Paypal link below:

Rosalind Lintott: 'Cuttings of history in a Trinity Hall manuscripts' / Matthew Coulter: 'Hec est quedam profetia que fuit inventa': a prophecy in Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 372 / Dunstan Roberts: Books owned by Sir Thomas Hoby (1530-1566) / Jonathan Reimer: Selling forbidden evangelical books in early Tudor Cambridge / Micha Lazarus: Inventory booklists in legal context / F. J. Norton†: A brief account of paper sizes and printed formats in nineteenth-century Spain / Scot McKendrick: Collecting Greek manuscripts in eighteenth-century England: the origins, scope and legacy of the collections of Richard Mead and Anthony Askew / James Freeman: Unpublished descriptions of western medieval manuscripts at Cambridge University Library.

The 2019 issue of TCBS (XVI, part 4), of papers from the 2017 conference on University Librarian Henry Bradshaw can be purchased using the link below.

Membership & Subscriptions

Applications for membership should be addressed to the Treasurer, Cambridge Bibliographical Society, University Library, West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DR (email: cbs@lib.cam.ac.uk). Subscriptions (£15.00 or $25.00 a year for individuals, £25 or $30 for institutions) cover the twelve months from 1 January. Members will be invoiced each autumn for the following year's subscription.

Existing individual members may renew their membership for a small additional fee via the Paypal links below. Please note that institutional members cannot renew by this method.

To renew your individual membership for one year (includes 50p administrative charge), click below:

To renew your individual membership for two years (includes £1 administrative charge), click below:

To renew your individual membership for three years (includes £1 administrative charge), click below:

The Commissioners of Inland Revenue have approved the Society for the purposes of Section 16, Finance Act, 1958, and the whole of the subscription paid by a member who qualifies for relief under that Section will be allowable as a deduction from emoluments assessable to income tax under Schedule E. Any member entitled to relief should apply to the tax office as soon as possible for form P358.

Officers 2023-2024