The Library: An Illustrated History

by Stuart A.P. Murray

Overview

“An eloquent account of the noble history of libraries, as it has unfolded from the earliest times to the present.” —Nicholas A. Brasbanes, author of A Gentle Madness

Throughout the history of the world, libraries have been constructed, burned, discovered, raided, and cherished—and the treasures they've housed have evolved from early stone tablets to the mass-produced, bound paper books of our present day. The Library invites you to enter the libraries of ancient Greece, early China, Renaissance England, and modern-day America, and speaks to the book lover in all of us. Incorporating beautiful illustrations, insightful quotations, and many marvelous mysteries of libraries—their books, patrons, and keepers—this book is certain to provide you with a wealth of knowledge and enjoyment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781510733329
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	12/03/2019
Edition description:	Illustrate
Pages:	328
Sales rank:	1,071,186
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Stuart A. P. Murray has been an author and editor for almost thirty years, specializing in American history. The author of thirty-four books, including the award-winning America’s Song: The Story of "Yankee Doodle," and books on the American Revolution, the Civil War and the Vietnam War. He lives in Petersburgh, New York.

Nicholas A. Basbanes is the author of the bestselling book on book collecting, A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books.

Donald G. Davies, Jr., editor of Libraries & Culture, is the author of several books and serves as emeritus professor at the University of Texas, School of Information. Previously, Dr. Davis worked in the University of California, Berkeley, Library.

Table of Contents

New Foreword to the 2019 Edition vii

Foreword xi

Introduction xiii

1 The Ancient Libraries 3

2 European Libraries of the Middle Ages 23

3 Asia and Islam 43

4 Europe's High Middle Ages 59

5 Renaissance to Reformation 77

6 People of the Book 97

7 War and a Golden Age 115

8 The Library in Colonial North America 135

9 The Library in the Young United States 153

10 The Library Movement 173

11 Organizing Knowledge 193

12 Libraries, Librarians, and Media Centers 215

Libraries of the World 235

Bibliotheque Nationale de France

British Library

Austrian National Library

National Library of Russia

Russian State Library, Moscow

Library and Archives of Canada

Toronto Public Library, Canada

Bibliotheque et Archives Nationales du Québec, Canada

Royal Library of Belgium

Royal Library of the Netherlands

Hong Kong Public Libraries, China

Italian National Libraries

New York City Public Libraries

New York Public Library

Queens Public Library

Brooklyn Public Library

Boston Public Library

Chicago Public Library

Los Angeles Libraries

County of Los Angeles Public Library

Los Angeles Public Library

National Library of China, Beijing

Shanghai Library, China

German National Library

Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences

London Library

National Library of Australia

National Diet Library of Japan

Jewish National and University Library, Israel

National Library of Brazil

Jagiellonian University Library, Poland

National Library of Iran

National Library of Pakistan

Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt

National Library of India

Herzog August Bibliothek, Germany

Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, Amsterdam

Abbey Library of St. Gall, Switzerland

Kederminster Library, England

Huntington Library, United States

Folger Shakespeare Library, United States

American Antiquarian Society, United States

Newberry Library, United States

Cambridge University Library, England

National Library of Medicine, United States

University of Texas, Austin, United States

Harvard University Libraries, United States

Bodleian Library, England

The Vatican Library, Rome

The Clark Library, United States

Smithsonian Institution Libraries, United States

Acknowledgments 305

Sources 305

For Further Reading 306

Index 308

Editorial Reviews

"While this handsome edition would make an excellent gift for any booklover, it would also be a fine addition to a college or university collection: as the life cycle of information continues to undergo rapid mutations, reading about the transformative history of libraries and information delivery has never been more important—or more enjoyable." —The Association of College and Research Libraries Washington Newsletter

"An eloquent account of the noble history of libraries, as it has unfolded from the earliest times to the present." —Nicholas A. Brasbanes, author of A Gentle Madness

"While this handsome edition would make an excellent gift for any booklover, it would also be a fine addition to a college or university collection: as the life cycle of information continues to undergo rapid mutations, reading about the transformative history of libraries and information delivery has never been more important—or more enjoyable." —The Association of College and Research Libraries Washington Newsletter

"An eloquent account of the noble history of libraries, as it has unfolded from the earliest times to the present." —Nicholas A. Brasbanes, author of A Gentle Madness

From the Publisher