From Legend to Legacy: Gotham Book Mart Collection Goes to Penn Libraries

Open since 1920, the Gotham Book Mart -- famed New York City independent bookshop whose customers included Charlie Chaplin and Woody Allen, whose original location hosted such greats as Dylan Thomas and Salvador Dali, and whose collection included books from the personal libraries of Truman Capote and Anais Nin -- closed its doors last year.

The disposition of its precious contents was perilously in question. But thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the Gotham Book Mart Collection now has a new home at Penn's Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

"We're very excited about this gift to the Penn Libraries," said Carton Rogers, Vice Provost and Director of Libraries, "and we're honored to steward the collection, and give it new life as an academic resource." The collection, which includes many first editions, books from small presses, experimental literary magazines, and outsider literature, will be used by scholars at Penn as part of undergraduate assignments and for research at the graduate level.

In addition, Penn Libraries will create a virtual home for the Gotham Book Mart, providing, for the first time ever, a complete inventory of the collection's contents, available through Penn Libraries' online catalog. The Libraries will also work with faculty and researchers to identify materials to be digitized in order to open the treasures of the Gotham Book Mart Collection to a wider audience.

James Joyce	Woody Allen	Salvador Dali	John Updike	Allen Ginsberg

full news release from Penn Library >

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