The book that has been chosen as the
four-millionth volume for the University of Florida Libraries is Urania
Propitia by Maria Cunitz (1610-1664). The book examines the theory and art
of astronomy, as well as presents her calculations, and a guide to astronomy for
nonscientists. According to Cunitz, there were four components to astronomy:
carefully recorded observations, the construction of astronomical instruments,
theory, and the calculations or tables of predictions.
Cunitz was the first modern female
astronomer. The book is very rare — one of nine copies in existence — and is
an important addition to the libraries because it celebrates the university’s
commitments to women’s studies, history of science, astronomy, and the printed
word as the prime means of communication for more than five hundred years.
Funding was provided by the University
Athletic Association to purchase this four-millionth volume.
Milestone volumes are always significant to an academic institution in that they help keep alive the history of an institution’s evolution and development. To measure how ‘great’ a library might be is not only to note the number of holdings contained in the collections, but also — perhaps more important than sheer size — to esteem the value of the collections for their intrinsic worth and potential use for research. The University of Florida’s milestone volumes range among broad disciplines, and our latest millionth most appropriately represents where the university is currently directing its strategic energies in the sciences and humanities.