Marcus Crouch
Encyclopedia
Marcus Crouch was a British librarian
and an influential reviewer of, and commentator on, children's books.
in Middlessex and educated at the Grammar School
there and at London University, where he trained as a Chartered Librarian at the School of Librarianship, University College.
He worked as a librarian in the Middlesex
, Lancashire
and Kent
County Libraries. He was Chairman, and later Honorary Secretary, of the Youth Libraries Group of the Library Association, and Chairman of the Kent Branch of the School Library Association. He was Deputy County Librarian for Kent.
He is best known for his books Treasure Seekers and Borowers: Children's Books in Britain 1900-1960 and The Nesbit Tradition: The Children's Novel 1945-1970.
He was also noted for his Bodley Head monograph on Beatrix Potter
.
He compiled and edited several collections of folk tales for children.
He contributed numerous reviews of children's books to Junior Bookshelf, the Times Literary Supplement, and School Librarian.
He died at his home in North Wales
aged 83. He is commemorated by the Kent Arts and Libraries "Marcus Crouch Collection" of approximately 1,500 children's books published in the United Kingdom between 1830 and 1930.
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
and an influential reviewer of, and commentator on, children's books.
Life and works
Marcus Crouch was born at TottenhamTottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
in Middlessex and educated at the Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
there and at London University, where he trained as a Chartered Librarian at the School of Librarianship, University College.
He worked as a librarian in the Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
County Libraries. He was Chairman, and later Honorary Secretary, of the Youth Libraries Group of the Library Association, and Chairman of the Kent Branch of the School Library Association. He was Deputy County Librarian for Kent.
He is best known for his books Treasure Seekers and Borowers: Children's Books in Britain 1900-1960 and The Nesbit Tradition: The Children's Novel 1945-1970.
He was also noted for his Bodley Head monograph on Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter
Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist best known for her imaginative children’s books featuring animals such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit which celebrated the British landscape and country life.Born into a privileged Unitarian...
.
He compiled and edited several collections of folk tales for children.
He contributed numerous reviews of children's books to Junior Bookshelf, the Times Literary Supplement, and School Librarian.
He died at his home in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
aged 83. He is commemorated by the Kent Arts and Libraries "Marcus Crouch Collection" of approximately 1,500 children's books published in the United Kingdom between 1830 and 1930.