In autumn 2015 a department of historical bibliography was established at the Institute of Scientific Information 1st FM CU and GUH, tasked with an up-to date description and organizing of historic book collection of the First Faculty of Medicine CU – the oldest items date back as far as to the 15th century. The collections are now stored in proper controlled conditions and damaged books are undergoing restoration. Each book, including individual parts of convolutes, is described in detail for the Charles University Central Catalogue and these bibliographic records are subsequently incorporated into the Union Calatogue of the Czech Republic. The records are provided with digital copies of title pages as well as with links to on-line digital copies of complete works. Information on the marks of ownership and provenance (hand-written and bookplates) from our books are included as well, together with their images. Simultaneously, we are working on digitizing those historical books from the collections of 1st FM CU, which are not yet available online.
These webpages are one part of publication and popularization activities of the department of historical bibliography. Their purpose is to inform scholars interested in the history of medicine, in the history of book culture or in any other related topic, of the diversity of the historic collection of 1st FM CU. Therefore, we post updates on its remarkable items and rarities. Here you can also browse the catalogues of individual sub-collections or even visit the digital library Bibliotheca facultatis medicae primae, where digitized old prints and manuscripts from our collections are gradually made accessible.
