Library Geekery

[kippurbird]

So, apparently, we - the library I work at - owns a book that was printed within ten years of Guttenberg's press being made.

Ten years.

:O

Wow

Comments

[hekateras.livejournal.com]

What proof do they have that it was printed at that time and not later? Carbon isotope dating doesn't offer THAT much precision.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

There's the title of the book. And the condition of the book. What it's made out of, the book covering, paper type. How it's printed. We have a professional archivist who comes in twice a week to catalog our rare book and bible collection.

She knows where to look for similar kinds of books. And other libraries/museums might have the same copy or records of the book, when it was printed or when it first showed up. Stuff like that. I'm not sure of the details as I don't do that stuff.