The role of the library of the faculty of agriculture (today SAAF Department ) in the knowledge of biodiversity and in the research activity of contemporary naturalists

Abstract

The Faculty of Agriculture is one of the oldest faculties of Palermo University. Over its now long existence, the Faculty of Agriculture, today the Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences (SAAF) has accrued an immense heritage of books and journals. The history of this heritage, its origin and evolution are little known; however, it has been fundamental in contributing to our knowledge of a number of nineteenth-century naturalists and of many topics addressed in recent years. This article traces the history of the library; it includes a reconstruction of the many donations received over the years which have contributed to enriching this heritage and an analysis of the nineteenth-century book heritage on natural history safeguarded within the library. This paper also contains a list of the titles and year of publication of the many nineteenth century journals preserved in the library.