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Publishers' Weekly Collection
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
The company was founded by Frederick Leypoldt, a German immigrant who worked as a bookseller and recognized the need for good bibliographic information to make the book business more efficient. In 1870 Leypoldt issued the first edition of his Annual American Catalogue, a precursor to Books In Print. In 1872 he published the first issue of Publishers Weekly, and in 1876 the first issue of Library Journal. In 1878 Leypoldt's company was acquired by Richard Rogers Bowker. Leypoldt and Bowker also founded such standard book-industry reference sources as Literary Marketplace and Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory. The company has been bought and sold a couple of times since the 1960s.
The collection consists of correspondence and printed matter of Publishers' Weekly, the periodical published by the R. R. Bowker Company, and correspondence of Frederic G. Melcher, company president and editor of the weekly. The collection contains material relating to the book publishing industry's problems during World War II, especially paper shortages; the industry's response to the demands of the war, for example, helping to provide libraries for military personnel; and its dealings with public and private groups such as the War Production Board, Office of War Information, Office of the Alien Property Custodian, the Victory Book Committee, the Book Industry Committee for Roosevelt, and the Council on Books in Wartime. There is also material from the early Roosevelt years (1933-1934), such as records of hearings by the National Recovery Administration on a code of fair practices and competition for the booksellers' trade industry and the textbook publishers.
Unprocessed.
Folder list prepared by Alicia Corona '14 in 2011.
People
Organization
- Council on Books in Wartime
- Book Industry Committee for Roosevelt
- United States. Office for Emergency Management. Office of Alien Property Custodian
- United States. National Recovery Administration
- United States. Office of War Information
- United States. War Production Board
- Victory Book Committee
- R.R. Bowker company
Subject
- Book industries and trade -- United States -- Law and legislation -- 20th century
- Booksellers and bookselling -- United States -- 20th century
- Editors -- New York (State) -- New York -- 20th century -- Correspondence
- Industrial priorities -- United States -- 20th century
- Military libraries -- United States -- 20th century
- Paper industry -- United States -- 20th century
- Publishers and publishing -- United States -- 20th century
- Textbooks -- Publication and distribution -- United States -- 20th century
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Author
- Alicia Corona
- Finding Aid Date
- 2008
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to RBSC Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.
Collection Inventory
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Standard government form of bid for books.
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Office of Production Management (OPM), Office of Price Administration (OPA), Office for Emergency Management (OEM).
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Includes information about British and American war insurance.
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Includes papers concerning charge accounts.
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Veteran's Memorial Library.
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Defense savings, trade cooperation.
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Hearing on Code of Fair Practices and Competition. Presented by the Booksellers Trading Industry.
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Hearing on Code of Fair Practices and Competition. Presented by the Text Book Publishing Industry.
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Hearing on the Retail Code.
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Hearing on the booksellers trade.
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Hearing on the retail trade.
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Includes information on various publishers.
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Includes materials on paper design, paper makers, paper rationing, and paper grants.
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Includes code for rental and public libraries.
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October conference and drafts.
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