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National Library News |
by Karen McGrath,
Corporate Development Officer
On Thursday March 11, 1999, National Librarian Marianne Scott hosted a reception at the National Library in honour of Ronald I. Cohen to recognize his generous donation to the Library of over 300 works by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Mauril Bélanger, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Heritage was on hand to congratulate Mr. Cohen on behalf of the federal government. Also in attendance were two Members of Parliaments from Prince Edward Island: George Proud (Hillsborough) and Wayne Easter (Malpeque).
Visiting many bookstores in Canada and abroad, Mr. Cohen been painstakingly gatheringed this collection over the past fifteen 15 years. His donation has added more than 300 Canadian, British, American, foreign and variant editions to the Library's Montgomery holdings.
In thanking Mr. Cohen, Dr. Scott underlined the importance of such gifts in building the national collection of Canadiana. She explained that the library's collection, which has now reached some 16 million items, is a living collection growing by over 500, 000 items each year -- the sum of the nation's annual publishing efforts. Since 1953, much of this material is acquired through legal deposit. Much "pre-legal deposit" material remains to be purchased. The Library is very grateful to the Friends of the National Library who acquire materials and donate them to the collection each year. Gifts from Friends such as Ronald Cohen are becoming more and more critical to ensuring the continuing viability of our national collection of Canadiana.
Thanks to Mr. Cohen's donation, the Library now has an outstanding, nationally significant collection of bibliographically distinctive works by one of Canada's best-known and loved authors which will be preserved for the use of Canadians now and in the future.
The Ronald I. Cohen Lucy Maud Montgomery Collection will be housed in the Library's Rare Book collection.
For more information on donating a gift to the National Library of Canada, please contact
Gifts and Exchanges Section
National Library of Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa ON K1A 0N4
(819) 994-6855
(819) 997-2395
gifts@nlc-bnc.ca