author
R. R. (Richard Rogers) Bowker
1848–1933
A key figure in American publishing and library history, he helped shape the way books were cataloged, sold, and discussed in the United States. He was also a journalist and editor whose work connected the worlds of literature, libraries, and public debate.
1 Audiobook
Copyright: Its History and Its Law
by R. R. (Richard Rogers) Bowker
About the author
Born in Salem, Massachusetts, on September 4, 1848, Richard Rogers Bowker became an influential American journalist, editor, publisher, and bibliographer. He studied at the City College of New York and went on to work as literary editor for the New York Evening Mail and later the New York Tribune.
Bowker is especially remembered for his long association with Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, and for founding the company that came to bear his name, R. R. Bowker. Britannica notes that he played an important role in the development of professional library standards in the United States, while Library of Congress materials show the breadth of his interests, from publishing and literature to political reform.
He also wrote on economics and copyright, including Copyright: Its History and Its Law. Bowker died in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on November 12, 1933, leaving a legacy closely tied to American books, libraries, and the business of publishing.