Third, Mr. Shelley's (President of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association) comments are no more than a shameless shilling for his organization. While there are many reputable dealers in the ABA, relatively few would be more suitable than Mr. Thornton to handle such a library and equally few would add to an initial offer if books so purchased produced more money than expected. After all, no dealer would go back to an owner and ask for a refund if he failed to sell the purchased book(s) for as much as he had hoped. ["Restitution" is an entirely inappropriate word in the context, as nothing has been stolen or illegally or immorally obtained.] There are equally reputable dealers in the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA), as well as dealers wholly unassociated with such an association. Expert dealers in early printed Bibles and theological books are to be found in all three categories.

David Lachman, Wyncote, PA

Sir, As a specialist dealer in antiquarian theology and Bibles who has spent well over £36,000 on books from the Phillpotts Library I would like to make four observations on the article (Biblical error costs Church £1/2m, September 10) by Ruth Gledhill:

First, the primary responsibility for the sale was that of the trustees. IF they did not exercise the diligence to which their office obligated them, whatever blame accrues is theirs alone.

Second, Mr. Thornton made a good faith offer, higher than the others the trustees obtained, based on his estimate of their value in relation to the time and expense of handling the large quantity of books involved. This was based on a limited ability to view the books, the trustees impression that the books had relatively little value and with no guarantee that in selling the books he would so much as get his money back. I do not think he can fairly be blamed for the outcome

David Lachman, Wyncote,, PA

Sir, each historic church library is of great value as a historical source. If it is selled and dispersed the source is destroyed. Thus the dispersal of Bishop Phillpotts Library is not only a financial loss but a cultural one. If one cannot avoid the selling thoroughly research has to be done to document the collection as a whole: making a catalogue according the standard of book history (tracing the ownership of the books, etc.), digitizing the most impirtant items with a significant history and so on. There is no excusation for the destroyal of a valuable historic "book ensemble" without appropriate documentation. Why can archaeologists make excavations when an archeological site is threatened? The same principle should be valid for historic book collections which are cultural property. From a historian's view it is clear that not only the owner should decide what to do with a historic library.

Dr Klaus Graf, Neuss, Germany