This work serves as a comprehensive bibliographic record of incunabula held within the Bodleian Library, addressing the need for a systematic catalog of fifteenth-century printed materials. Alan Coates, an expert in early modern bibliography, utilizes the library's extensive archives to provide a detailed inventory of these rare volumes. The text functions as a scholarly reference tool, documenting the provenance, physical characteristics, and printing history of each item to facilitate academic research into the origins of the printing press.

Scholars and librarians recognize this catalog as a foundational reference for the study of early European printing history. The prose is highly technical and intended for specialized research, providing a rigorous standard for bibliographic documentation.