The Scheide Library once a private library, is now a permanent part of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections of the

Princeton University Library Princeton University Library is the main library system of Princeton University. With holdings of more than 7 million books, 6 million microforms, and 48,000 linear feet of manuscripts, it is among the largest libraries in the world by number of ...

. It is housed in the Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library on the campus of

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

. In 2015, following the death of William Scheide, the library was gifted to the University to be a part of the permanent collection. It marks the largest gift in the university's history. The Scheide Library is the only library outside of Europe to possess all four of the first printed bibles: The

Gutenberg Bible The Gutenberg Bible (also known as the 42-line Bible, the Mazarin Bible or the B42) was the earliest major book printed using mass-produced movable metal type in Europe. It marked the start of the " Gutenberg Revolution" and the age of printed ...

, the 1460 Bible (or Mentelin Bible), the 36-line Bible, and the 1462 Bible. Other notable holdings include manuscripts by

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

J.S. Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...

, and

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

, a copy of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...

, and first editions of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

, and Milton. The library also holds significant collections of medieval manuscripts and incunabula, printed books on travel and exploration, and Americana. The Scheide Library was assembled by three generations of collectors, William T. Scheide, his son, John H. Scheide, and grandson, William H. Scheide, who founded the Bach Aria Group, credited with reviving interest in Bach's cantatas.

References

External links

Official website

Guide to the Princeton University Library
{{Princeton Libraries in New Jersey Private libraries in the United States Princeton University