PasteMagazine.com: Time Travel: The History of Libraries

By Sarra Sedghi
March 16, 2016

This week in our Time Travel series, we’re flipping through the history of libraries.

For thousands of years, people have traveled to libraries in search of knowledge. Once civilization dawned, people needed a place to store information and archives, and thus libraries were born. The earliest libraries are traced to present-day Iraq and stored cuneiform data on clay tablets. China’s creation of paper in the 2nd century BC helped spread knowledge westward at a faster pace, and more libraries appeared in sacred and private spaces.

During the Enlightenment, libraries experienced a golden age and development shifted to opening these troves of knowledge to the public. People founded more public libraries as time progressed, especially in Europe and the United States. Today, rather than shudder at technology, libraries embrace it, multiplying their catalogue of knowledge.

The earliest libraries were found in Sumerian temples in present-day Iraq. These troves were stocked with archival clay tablets written in cuneiform script.

In China, private libraries emerged around the 16th century BC and were later stocked with a multitude of records and media. The Chinese invented paper in the 2nd century BC, and the practice eventually made its way westward.

The Library of Alexandria is arguably the most significant library of the ancient world flourished as a center of learning for nearly 300 years. After the Romans conquered Egypt, the library was destroyed.

Islamic libraries were known as "halls of science"and encouraged both religious and secular studies. Most Islamic libraries were destroyed during Mongolian invasions, but some, like the Chinguetti in Mauritania, still exist today.

The golden age of libraries coexisted with the Enlightenment movement and saw the birth of some of Europe's most prestigious libraries. During this time, libraries also became more accessible to the public.

In 1753, the British Museum and the first true national library were constructed in London. Neither the church nor the king owned the British Museum's library, which was open to the public.

The Western basis for the modern public library came about in the second half of the 19th century. After the Reconstruction Era, the movement to increase the number of public libraries in the United States exploded, especially among women's groups.

Libraries have adapted the technological advancements that posed threats to books, multiplying the available wealth of information. In addition to housing more forms of media, libraries have incorporated recent innovations, such as web databases, into their catalogues.

Source: PasteMagazine.com