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Value of Old Medical Books

Snježana Spitzmüller ; Vrapče University Psychiatric Hospital, Professional Library and Museum, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

The aim of this article is to bring attention to the older books of our library fund. The importance of old medical books
does not lie merely in their original date of publishing but in their worth to all those interested in the history of medicine,
psychiatry, development of diagnostics and everything related to such research. The old books that are part of the library
collection of the Vrapče University Psychiatric Hospital, which will be briefly described, contain knowledge that was new
at the time of their original publishing. Today, although the ideas in these books may seem old and dated, we must not
forget that much of the knowledge they contain is part of current medical theories. Caring for the book collection of the
library is not only a matter of general culture but also one of the basic tasks and duties of any library. Old copies of books
and sometimes the library collection as a whole are part of a cultural legacy, because every book tells a story. Old books
must be cared for and treated as part of the heritage and testimony of the one-hundred-forty-year-old history of our
University Hospital.

Keywords

Vrapče Hospital Museum; Old library fund; Bibliography; Medical publications; History

Hrčak ID:

203823

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/203823

Publication date:

19.7.2018.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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