Arne Laurin’s Journalism Library
| Pages | 19–34 |
|---|---|
| DOI | 10.37520/amnpsc.2025.003 |
| Keywords | Arne Laurin – journalism library – journalism – book collecting – provenance research – bibliographic spoils – book spoils |
| Type of Article | Peer-reviewed |
| Citation | PANENKOVÁ, Josefína. Arne Laurin’s Journalism Library. Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae – Historia litterarum. Prague: National Museum, 2025, 70(1-2), 19–34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37520/amnpsc.2025.003. ISSN 2570-6861 (Print), 2570-687X (Online). Also available from: https://publikace.nm.cz/en/periodicals/acta-musei-nationalis-pragae-historia-litterarum/70-1-2/arne-laurins-journalism-library |
Arne Laurin (1889–1945), a journalist and editor-in-chief of the Prager Presse, devoted nearly his entire life to book collecting, a pursuit that he continued until his emigration in 1939. He became particularly renowned for his collection of journalism-related literature, which — following wartime upheavals and Laurin’s death — was incorporated into the holdings of the library of the present-day Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University. During its time, the journalism library gained considerable recognition, notably through seven printed catalogues issued by Laurin between 1931 and 1937 as bibliophilic editions. The library as a whole — and especially its historical holdings of printed works up to 1860 — consists predominantly of foreign literature. This study traces the remarkable trajectory of the collection, examines provenance markers within the historical holdings, and addresses key librarianship themes such as acquisitions, cataloguing, collection development, and accessibility. From the perspective of book collecting, Laurin’s activities are situated within a broader cultural and historical context.