"De Castro" collection

Type: Bibliographic collection
Status: Closed collection
Location: “DECASTRO”
Time span: 1871–2010
Language: Mainly Italian; includes volumes in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and other languages
Format: Printed monographs and periodicals
Access conditions: Open or on-site consultation, depending on the document
Origin: The collection comprises volumes from the Library of Applied Statistics for Economic Sciences, named after Diego De Castro, a university professor and scholar of demography, statistics, social research methodology, and quantitative finance

Content:

The collection consists primarily of scientific and educational volumes, with a strong emphasis on mathematical analysis, statistics, and economics. There is a notable presence of university textbooks and manuals, often part of specific series or collections, indicating a primarily academic or research-oriented use. Another relevant feature is the inclusion of works published by university institutes, particularly the University of Palermo, highlighting the collection’s connection to the field of statistical and mathematical research of that period.

Main thematic areas:

• Mathematics and calculus: Includes works on mathematical analysis, algebra, infinitesimal calculus, actuarial mathematics, and the history of mathematics.
• Statistics and probability: Comprises volumes on statistical handbooks, methods, and probability theory.
• Economics and economic statistics: Includes texts on statistics applied to economics.
• Demography: Covers works analyzing the structure, composition, and temporal changes of human populations.
• Risk management: Consists of volumes addressing risk modeling.
• Physics, engineering, and computer science: To a lesser extent, the collection includes works on mathematical physics, engineering, and computer science, with particular reference to web programming languages.

Documentary and historical value:

The collection demonstrates a high degree of thematic coherence, focusing almost exclusively on STEM disciplines, particularly mathematics and statistics. Chronological coherence is also evident, with a predominance of volumes published between the 1950s and 1970s, reflecting a period of significant development in research and teaching in these disciplines in Italy. The collection holds considerable value for academic research, given the presence of texts that represent milestones in Italian university education.