Seghers Collection book recognized with Alcuin Society award

The Seghers Collection: Old Books for a New World-written by Dr. H&e#180;lène Cazes (French and medieval studies) and published by the University Libraries-has been recognized by the Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada. The publication is of special significance for the campus and the Victoria region, exploring the bibliographic history of the Seghers Collection, their spiritual and religious significance within the catholic tradition and their attributed owner, Charles John Seghers (the second Archbishop of Victoria).The holdings of the Seghers Collection include 4,000 books on Catholic theology and church history, canon law, liturgy and ritual, canonization and monasticism on permanent loan to the UVic Libraries from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Victoria.

The Seghers books are of interest not only for their content, but also for the light that they throw on book production, printing, illustration, and binding, especially on the European continent from 1550 through to the end of the hand-printing era-making the Alcuin Society's third-place award for illustrated non-fiction particularly apt. The Seghers Collection was also printed on-campus by Printing Services.

All the award winning books are posted to the Alcuin Society website, showcased in an awards catalogue produced by the Alcuin Society, and exhibited nationally and internationally. The entire collection of 2014 award-winning books will be showcased in a November 2014 exhibition at UVic Libraries Special Collections.