As well as collecting material on current practice, many rare titles were purchased covering earlier practice (for example, the counting-house manual and introduction to business from 1843).

The Library & Information Service continues to acquire manuals to this day (for example, the UK GAAP and IFRS manuals published by the big four) and researchers often visit the library to explore the evolution of interpretations across the span of titles we hold. Full details of all the manuals in our collection can be found in the Library catalogue.

Topics covered by the manuals in the collection include accounting, auditing, bankruptcy, trust law and secretarial practice. Some examples are listed below (links take you through to details of our holdings).

• Auditing: a practical manual for auditors
  Lawrence Dicksee was the first professor of accounting to be appointed in a British university. His manual for auditors, first published in 1892, was a ground-breaking work within the profession.
• The accountants' library
  The handbooks published under the banner of The Accountants' Library were intended to provide the detail of accounting practice in a range of sectors from auctioneers to timber merchants.
• The principles of auditing- a practical manual for students and practitioners
  Frederic De Paula's work is regarded as a classic and part of a substantial body of work from the writer which helped to spread knowledge of best practice within the profession and help influence its future development.

If you would like to find out more about any of the titles listed please contact us by phone on +44 (0)20 7920 8620 or by email at library@icaew.com for more information. Details of our holdings can also be accessed through our online catalogue.

Most of our older titles are held in an off-site store. We recommend that you let us know in advance if you wish to consult older titles in the library so that we can have these ready for your visit.