Blog Posts on book history

Rizal's Noli, Fili and "Mi Ultimo Adios" by Filipino Librarian on Jun 9, 2011Photos of front and back of what is perhaps the best-known and most-translated document written by a Filipino. Note that it does not have a title. Click photos to enlarge.Jose Rizal's original, handwritten manuscripts of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibu...

FO: Shih-lu, 1593 by Filipino Librarian on Oct 20, 2010The Biblioteca Nacional de España has digitized the only known copy of the Shih-lu, and—with a little prodding from this blogger—made it freely available online. The entire book may be downloaded here: Shih-lu (pdf). To see its bibliographic rec...

"The Great Book Blockade of 2009" is over by Filipino Librarian on May 25, 2009It all started with Robin Hemley's "The Great Book Blockade of 2009," which laid bare the plan to start taxing books imported into the Philippines—contrary to the Florence Agreement—because a customs undersecretary decided that she was the only o...

The Great Book Blockade of... 1959 by Filipino Librarian on May 23, 2009Deja vu?! Well, the circumstances fifty years ago were a bit different, but those complaining about "The Great Book Blockade of 2009" should read "Bookselling In Manila" (pdf; registration required but it's free!), a 1960 article by Joaquin Po, who w...

1, 2 or 3 Books Printed in 1593? by Filipino Librarian on May 10, 2009Feedback I emailed to Queena Lee-Chua appeared in her column today (see "Readers speak out," Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2009). If I had known that she was going to print my short email, I would've presented the reasons for my assertion that "The evid...