Adrian Edwards

A man retrieving a book from the King's Library
Position
Head, Printed Heritage Collections
Specialism
History and development of the British Library collection of Western printed materials; historical development of writing and printing
Department
Collections
Related Offices
Consortium of European Research Libraries (executive committee); Canterbury Cathedral Library and Archives Advisory Board; JISC Historical Texts Advisory Board

Adrian Edwards is a rare books librarian with a particular interest in linguistics and library history. He manages the Printed Heritage Collections curatorial team, which is responsible for Western printed books, periodicals, prints, drawings and ephemera from the mid-15th century through to the year 2000. He has worked at the Library for over 25 years in a variety of roles ranging from cataloguing early Italian books through to managing reference services in the Rare Books and Music Reading Room.

Current research interests focus on Native North American linguistics, the collections of George III, and how the development of writing can be explored through book and manuscript sources.

Publications

Chapters

  • 'Afterword: Writing and the Collections of the British Library', in Writing: Making Your Mark, edited by Ewan Clayton (London: British Library, 2019). 

Articles