History of the Book in Canada Project

Search the Databases > CBTLI / ICMLB

Fiona A. Black and Bertrum H. MacDonald, Editors

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he objective of the Canadian Book Trade and Library Index (CBTLI) database is to provide a comprehensive record of individuals and organizations involved in the book and allied trades in Canada. The database currently focuses on the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Records have been created for individuals such as printers, booksellers, librarians, and paper makers and for organizations such as publishing houses, libraries, and press clubs.

Records were created by systematically searching a wide array of primary and secondary sources, including directories, newspapers, imprints, and archival sources. Records of individuals and organizations were created according to the following criteria:

The subject was active in at least one book trade occupation or role.
The subject was active within the territory that is now Canada.
The following information, as a minimum, is available for the subject:
1. Name
2. Occupation or role
3. Date of activity
4. Geographic location
The information about the individual or organization is available in authoritative published or archival sources.

Searching

There are two ways to search the CBTLI database: the Basic or the Advanced Search.

Basic Search
The Basic Search option allows the user to search the Name fields or Keywords individually or in combination.

Use the Name text-entry box to search the following fields:

Name
Variant Name Form(s)
Firm(s)/Institution(s)
Family Member(s) in Trade
Business Succession
Partner(s)
Apprentice(s)/Trainee(s)
Trade Contact(s)

Use the Keywords text-entry box to search the following fields:

Book Trade Role(s)/Date(s)
Non-Book Trade Role(s)
Province/Territory/District
Town
Notes

If terms are entered in both search boxes, records containing both terms will be retrieved. Except for the Name fields, where truncation may not be used, use the asterisk ( * ) to truncate terms.

Advanced Search
The Advanced Search option facilitates sophisticated queries on specific fields, and allows for the selection of Boolean operators (i.e. AND, OR, NOT) between search terms. Enter search terms into the text-entry boxes, then select the appropriate Boolean operator(s) and field(s) from the pull-down boxes.

The pull-down boxes contain lists of possible search terms for the Province/Territory/District, Book Trade Role, and Non-Book Trade Role fields.

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Record Structure

The CBTLI database records are composed of the following fields:

Record ID:	The identification number for the record.
Name:	Name of individual or organization.
Variant Name Form(s):	Other name(s) by which the subject was known.
Biographical Dates:	Birth and death dates, when known. This field is blank for organizations.
Gender or Organization:	Gender (M or F); Organization (O).
Geographic Origin:	Country, state or province, and/or city from which the individual originated. This field is blank for organizations.
Book Trade Role(s)/ Date(s) 1:	The subject's book trade role and date(s) of activity.
Province/Territory/ District 1:	Province/territory/district in which the subject carried out the activity listed in Book Trade Role(s)/Date(s) 1.
Town 1:	Town in which the subject carried out the activity listed in Book Trade Role(s)/Date(s) 1.
Street Address 1:	Street address at which the subject carried out the activity listed in Book Trade Role(s)/Date(s) 1.
Book Trade Role(s)/ Date(s) 2:	The subject's book trade role(s) and date(s) of activity at a second address.
Province/Territory/ District 2:	Province/territory/district in which the subject carried out the activity listed in Book Trade Role(s)/Date(s) 2.
Town 2:	Town in which the subject carried out the activity listed in Book Trade Role(s)/Date(s) 2.
Street Address 2:	Street address at which the subject carried out the activity listed in Book Trade Role(s)/Date(s) 2.
Book Trade Role(s)/ Date(s) 3:	The subject's book trade role(s) and date(s) of activity at a third address.
Province/Territory/ District 3:	Province/territory/district in which the subject carried out the activity listed in Book Trade Role(s)/Date(s) 3.
Town 3:	Town in which the subject carried out the activity listed in Book Trade Role(s)/Date(s) 3.
Street Address 3:	Street address at which the subject carried out the activity listed in Book Trade Role(s)/Date(s) 3.
Non-Book Trade Role(s)/ Date(s):	Subject's non-book trade occupation or role.
Firm(s)/ Institution(s):	Name(s) of book trade organization(s) that employed the subject.
Official Appointment(s):	Title(s) of any official government appointment(s) held by the subject.
Membership in Trade Association(s):	Name(s) of trade association(s) to which the subject belonged.
Decade(s) in Business:	Decade(s) in which the subject was involved in the book trade.
Family Member(s) in Trade:	Name(s) of family member(s) who also worked in the book trade, their relationship to the subject, and their book trade role(s).
Partner(s):	Name(s) of the subject's business partner(s).
Apprentice(s)/Trainee(s):	Name(s) of any apprentice(s) or trainee(s) supervised by the subject.
Political Affiliation:	The subject's political affiliation.
Religious Affiliation:	The subject's religious affiliation.
Business Succession:	Personal name or corporate name of the succeeding owner or business and the year of succession.
Trade Contact 1:	Business contact, either inside or outside Canada.
Location 1:	Location of Trade Contact 1.
Trade Contact 2:	Additional business contact, either inside or outside Canada.
Location 2:	Location of Trade Contact 2.
Trade Contact 3:	Additional business contact, either inside or outside Canada.
Location 3:	Location of Trade Contact 3.
Trade Contact 4:	Additional business contact, either inside or outside Canada.
Location 4:	Location of Trade Contact 4.
Trade Contact 5:	Additional business contact, either inside or outside Canada.
Location 5:	Location of Trade Contact 5.
Directory Sources:	Title of the directory used as source for the record.
Newspaper Sources:	Title of the newspaper used as source for the record.
Other Published Sources:	Title of other published source(s) used as source for the record.
Archival Sources:	Archival source(s) used as source for the record.
Notes:	Further information about the subject.

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Record Example

NOTE: If a record does not contain any data in a field, that field will not be displayed with the record.

Record ID:	569
Name:	Moore, Clement P.
Variant Name Form(s):	Moore, C.P.
Gender or Organization:	M
Book Trade Role(s)/ Date(s) 1:	Bookseller (unspecified) / Libraire (indéterminé), 1890-1900 Stationer (unspecified) / Marchand de papier (indéterminé), 1890-1900
Province/Territory/ District 1 :	Nova Scotia / Nouvelle-Écosse
Town 1:	Sydney
Street Address 1:	Charlotte Street
Book Trade Role(s)/ Date(s) 2:	Bookseller (unspecified) / Libraire (indéterminé), 1890-1897 Stationer (unspecified) / Marchand de papier (indéterminé), 1890-1897
Province/Territory/ District 2:	Nova Scotia / Nouvelle-Écosse
Town 2:	North Sydney
Non-Book Trade Role(s)/Date(s):	Fancy goods dealer / Marchand d'articles de fantaisie, 1890-1897 General merchant / Merchand, 1890-1897 Hardware merchant / Quincaillier, 1890-1900 Picture framer / Encadreue, 1890-1897 Toy maker/seller / Fabricant/Marchand de jouets, 1890-1896
Firm(s)/ Institutions(s):	MacKeen, Moore & Co.
Decade(s) in Business:	1890-1899 1900-1909
Partner(s):	McKeen, George K.
Directory Sources:	McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory, 1890-1897, p. 287, 1218, 1222, 1223; Bard's & Co's Business and Professional Directory, 1900, p. 158
Notes:	Large ad, p. 1222, McAlpine's, lists sales of "Iron, Steel, Nails, Glass, Paints, Varnishes, Oils, Carpenters' Tools, Carriage Stock, Groceries, Ship Chandlery, Etc. - Stationery, Toys, and Fancy Goods" at MacKeen, Moore, & Co. Sydney and North Sydney locations are noted. George K. McKeen and Clement P. Moore are the proprietors of MacKeen, Moore & Co. See individual entries under their names. McKeen is spelled "McKeen" in George McKeen's individual listing in McAlpine's and "MacKeen" in the listings of the company. Bards listing states "bookseller, stationer, hardware" only.

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Acknowledgements

The late Peter Isaac, of the British Book Trade Index, offered very helpful input during the planning stages of this database. Elizabeth Hulse and Yvan Lamonde shared information for Toronto and Montreal respectively.

The editors would like to thank all members of the HBiC/HLIC team. Research assistants Errin Armstrong, M.J. D'Elia, Chuck Erlichman, Francesca Frati, Shely Henry, Elise Moore, and Shain Widdifield prepared and edited records for inclusion in the CBTLI. Marcus Leja and Rhonda Miller were responsible for database design and development and provided technical support. Sophie Regalado prepared a draft of the Data Entry Manual, aided by Judy Donnelly.

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