Belle da Costa Greene (1879–1950) was the first librarian, first director, and the one-in-charge of the acquisitions and the developments of the Pierpont Morgan Library—eventually incorporated as the Morgan Library & Museum. She was particularly focused on making rare books and medieval manuscripts accessible to the public, rather than sealing them away in the vaults of private collectors. Over her more than 40 years of service to the Morgan, she was quite successful in this regard.