How to Create a Public (Music) Library: The Case of Nikola Udina/Algarotti and His Music Collection

The thesis of the article is that Nikola Udina/Niccolò Algarott i (Krk/Veglia, 1791 – Vienna, 1838) built up his collection of books, sheet music and musical instruments (the focus here will be on sheet music) with the intention of achieving broader benefits with the collection. The argument draws upon various documents that will be presented here, as well as some presumptions and speculations on what provided him with the impulse for such a large and demanding initiative. Further, some characteristics of the music collection can reveal both the intention behind the project and his way of realizing it. The huge donation/bequest of almost 3,500 music items (along with a few thousand books) to his native town of Krk enabled the foundation of the Biblioteca Algarott i, opened in a specially adapted building. That provided an immense benefit to a small town with less than 1,000 inhabitants. However, only two generations of locals used it during the second half of the nineteenth century, and due to a lack of funds it closed in 1894