Richard de Bury

Richard de Bury
Bishop of Durham
Mandorla-shaped seal of Richard de Bury, Bishop of Durham. The Latin inscription is: S(igillum) Ricardi dei grat(ia) Dunelmensis epi(scopus) ("seal of Richard, by the grace of God Bishop of Durham"). Arms of King Edward III on either side
AppointedFebruary 1333
Term ended14 April 1345
PredecessorLewis de Beaumont
SuccessorThomas Hatfield
Personal details
Born24 January 1287
near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Died14 April 1345 (aged 58)
Bishop Auckland, Durham, England
DenominationCatholic

Richard de Bury (24 January 1287 – 14 April 1345), also known as Richard Aungerville or Aungervyle, was an English priest, teacher, bishop, writer, and bibliophile. He was a patron of learning and one of the first English collectors of books. He is chiefly remembered for his Philobiblon, written to inculcate in the clergy the pursuit of learning and the love of books. The Philobiblon is considered one of the earliest books to discuss librarianship in-depth. Completed shortly before de Bury's death in 1345, the book wasn't published until 1473, and this "little treatise" as he described it, has been regularly reprinted in every century following.