David Wynford Evans

David Wynford Evans (1935-1996), librarian, was born and educated in Wales, taking Bachelor and Masters' degrees at University College Cardiff in English Literature in 1956 and 1958. He spent a year in the USA at the University of Indiana on a Fulbright Scholarship, before returning to the year to train as a teacher at St Catherine's College, Cambridge in 1960. He taught at Stamford and Windsor Grammar Schools, and was then appointed as Assistant Keeper of Printed Books at the National Library of Scotland. He held this post until 1964, taking on responsibility for the Scandinavian collections, and beginning to establish his own collection of rare books.

In 1964 Wyn moved to the University of Birmingham Library, where he worked in the Special Collections department, playing a key role in building up the archive and rare book collections, as well as establishing links with Worcester Cathedral Library. In 1973 he was appointed Sub-Librarian (Technical Processes) at Exeter University Library, becoming Deputy Librarian in 1982, and finally retiring in 1995 before his death in 1996. Throughout his career Wyn retained a key interest in rare books, and published numerous works of a bibliographical nature including:

A catalogue of Italian books, 1471-1600, in the libraries of Exeter University, Exeter Cathedral, and the Devon and Exeter Institution, with Roberto L. Bruni, 1978; A catalogue of Italian books, 1601-1700, in Exeter Libraries, with an appendix of sixteenth-century books mainly from Devon Library Services, with Roberto L. Bruni, 1982; Italian seventeenth century books, with Roberto L. Bruni, 1984; Seventeenth-century plays and other literary works in the Bute Collection, Cambridge University Library: a short-title catalogue, with Roberto L. Bruni, 1986.

The Lunar Society: an exhibition in connection with the bicentenary celebrations of the Lunar Society of Birmingham, 1966; John Galsworth: catalogue of the collection, 1967; Catalogue of the Harriet Martineau Papers, 1969; Catalogue of the Cadbury Papers, 1973.

James Watson of Edinburgh, printer and publisher, 1982; John Francis Campbell of Islay, 1822-1885, and Norway, 1963; A short survey of Scandinavian libraries in Great Britain, 1967; Rules and directions to be observed in printing-houses, 1988.

From the guide to the Papers of D. Wyn. Evans, 1978-1979, (University of Exeter)