The Scheide Library, once a private library, is now a permanent part of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections at the Princeton University Library. It is housed in the Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library on the campus of

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

. In 2015, following the death of William Scheide, the library was donated to the University to become part of its permanent collection. It marks the largest donation 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 in Europe using mass-produced metal movable type. It marked the start of the "Printing Revolution, Gutenberg Revolution" an ...

, 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 the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

, J.S. Bach, and

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

, a copy of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration 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 the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

, and first editions of works by

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 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, as well as 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. William H. Scheide is also known for founding the Bach Aria Group, which is credited with reviving interest in Bach's cantatas. In 1984, William H. Scheide was honored with the Sir Thomas More Medal for Book Collecting, awarded by the

University of San Francisco The University of San Francisco (USF) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in San Francisco, California, United States. Founded in 1855, it has nearly 9,000 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees ...

Gleeson Library and the Gleeson Library Associates, in recognition of his "Private Collecting for the Public Good."Sir Thomas More Medal for Book Collecting.
University of San Francisco Library and the Gleeson Library Associates. Retrieved from The Wayback Machine July 22, 2024.

References

External links

Official website

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