Oldest lending library left priceless books by US bibliophile

SCOTLAND’s most historic lending library has become home to a near-priceless collection of classic Scottish books.

Several hundred volumes of first editions and rare works dating back as far as the 16th century have been donated to the Innerpeffray Library, near Perthshire.

They have come from the collection of the reclusive US bibliophile Janet St Germain and the building, Scotland’s first lending library, has been converted to accommodate them for display.

The rarity of some of the Crieff in books, which include a “Kilmarnock” Burns, makes it almost impossible to value the collection as a whole, but the library’s governors believe it to be of major importance to the nation.

Janet St Germain, who died in September 2016 at the age of 74, had long-standing Scottish connections as her mother’s family emigrated to America in the 19th century from Crook of Devon, Kinross-shire.

She lived most of her life in New York, where she devoted herself to Scottish history and culture and collecting the finest copies of as many classic Scottish first editions as she was able to locate and purchase.

These she added to the already fine collection she had inherited from her father before forging a partnership with Innerpeffray that will benefit generations to come.

The works she donated include first editions of David Hume, Robert Burns, Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and John Buchan.

The “Kilmarnock” Burns, which was published in 1786 and swiftly sold out, was among her most cherished books.