Donald Goddard Wing (August 18, 1904 – October 8, 1972) was an Associate Librarian at Yale University from 1939 to 1970, best known for his publication of the bibliographic work A Short-Title Catalogue of Books Printed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and British America and of the English Books Printed in Other Countries, 1641-1700 (1945–1951), and companion work A Gallery of Ghosts; Books Published Between 1641-1700 Not Found in the Short-Title Catalogue (1967). Wing's Short title catalogue was a continuation of the earlier A Short-Title Catalogue of Books….1475-1640 (1928) compiled by Pollard and Redgrave. His Short-Title Catalogue became so popular that librarians and booksellers viewed it as an “indispensable tool.” Books referenced in Wing's Short-Title Catalogue became known as “Wing-books,” or books in published in the “Wing-period.” In 1999. American Libraries named him one of the 100 most important library leaders of the 20th century.
Background
Donald Goddard Wing was born on August 18, 1904, in Athol, Massachusetts. From a young age Wing possessed a passion for accumulating literature, which he maintained throughout his life; as a child he “collected the Smart Set and other ‘little magazines,’” in college he “added a book a day to his collection,” and once upon returning from overseas he smuggled in a copy of the banned book Ulysses. Upon graduation of college Wing stated that, “all the seniors were asked what they dreamed of doing, and I said I wanted to read second-hand book catalogues.” Wing's passion for collecting and cataloguing printed materials contributed to his desire to complete his most famous work, his Short-Title Catalogue.
In the summer of 1930 Wing married Pennsylvania native, Charlotte Farquhar, at Sharon Farm in Sandy Spring, Maryland. They honeymooned in Europe together, and then returned to the United States to start a family. Charlotte and Donald had two children together, one boy and one girl.
Education
Wing studied at Yale University, where he received a degree in English in 1926. He continued his education after graduation by attending Trinity College, Cambridge for a year, and then enrolling at Harvard, at which he earned a M.A. After receiving his M.A, Wing, persistent in his desire to learn more about literature, returned to Yale to gain his PhD in English in 1932, where he wrote his dissertation on “Origins of the Comedy of Humours.” Wing would remain at Yale for the majority of his career as the “Head of Accessions (1939-45), Associate Librarian (1945-65), and Associate Librarian for Collections of the Libraries (1966-70).”
The Short-Title Catalogue (STC) Wing is most commonly known for his work on the bibliographic reference tool A Short-Title Catalogue of Books Printed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and British America and of the English Books Printed in Other Countries, 1641-1700 (STC). 1641-1700 was an exciting time in the world of printing in England, and Wing's STC focused on these books. In 1641 the English Civil War began and with it “brought an abrupt end to government control of the press in England,” hence countless new books and periodicals flooded the English market. Wing's STC followed the Short-Title Catalogue ...1475-1640 arranged by Pollard and Redgrave, which contains books published in 1475-1640 of which copies exist in libraries in the British Isles or North America (listing several locations for each if known). Not only did Wing work independently on his edition of the STC “during his spare time,” but he encompassed an even greater magnitude of information. The STC created by Wing included “about 90,000 titles, about three times as many as the earlier STC [by Pollard and Redgrave].”
