1. History of Libraries An Overview of the Library Mission
Presented by Cynthia Naden
Professor Steve Tash
Libr200-11
April 16, 2011

2. I. Earliest Mission: Maintaining a Records Archive
Exact date libraries were established is unknown
Two significant factors in archive development
Invention of writing
Rise of commerce
Earliest written records form Samaria and Mesopotamia dated 3000 BC 2

3. II. Religious and Practical Missions of Egyptian Libraries
Earliest association of libraries - temples as historical archives & places of learning
Libraries notable for medical collections & pharmacological information
Egyptian Royal Library - first effort to build a reference & research library
As many as 20,000 scrolls existed in private collections among Egyptian royalty & wealthy Egyptians

4. III. Mission of Scholarship and Research
8th Century BC Assyrian King expanded his library at Nineveh, Mesopotamia
Contributed to the education of future generations
Included as many as 30,000 Sumerian and Babylonian tablets on literature, history, omens, astronomy, mathematics, grammar, linguistics, dictionaries, commercial records and laws
“Keeper of Books” was first librarian and played significant role in library activities
Concerted effort to acquire vast materials to translate and systematically organize
First attempt to build a reference & research library
One of the notable contributions of Greek libraries was advancing the scholarly mission
Private libraries developed by scholars & aristocrats to help them achieve social & political success

5. III. Mission of Scholarship and Research—cont’d
One of the notable contributions...—cont’d
Philosophical schools of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle made reading and writing more commonplace in the 4th century BC
Value of reading & maintaining written records spread with the expansion of the Greek empire under Alexander the Great
Following his death, the Macedonian general Ptolemy encouraged scholars to immigrate to Alexandria, Egypt, a center for culture and learning
Ptolemy and son Demetrios founded the Alexandrian Museum and Library
Purpose was to collect the entirety of Greek literature

6. III. Mission of Scholarship and Research—cont’d
One of the notable contributions...—cont’d
Following the death of Alexander the Great,…—cont’d
Items collected from throughout the world
Cargoes of books often confiscated from ships to copy, organize, edit and translated into Greek
Entire collection stored in two buildings—the Brucheion for research and the smaller Serapeum for students and the public

7. IV. Mission of Personal Status and Public Use
Following conquest of Greece, libraries were plundered by the Roman Empire
Romans considered possession of a library as a symbol of status, rank & personal pride
1st century AD - numerous private libraries i.e. Aristotle, Cicero, Lucullus & other aristocrats
Julius Caesar had major works in Greek & Latin, believing literature should be made public
Planned & began construction of a major library
Passed away before library was completed
Emperor Augustus, built two additional libraries

8. IV. Mission of Personal Status and Public Use
The Romans considered possession—cont’d
29 public libraries in Rome associated with Roman temples by the 4th century
Included religious items, public records & general literature
History & accounts recorded on papyrus scrolls
4th century AD, Roman Empire & its libraries in decline
Most of Western Europe in political, economic & social chaos
Scholarly mission of libraries maintained by monastic libraries of Western Europe, Byzantine and Moslem libraries in the East

9. V. Maintaining the Scholarly Mission
353 AD Byzantine Emperor Constantine founded the Imperial Library in Constantinople
Library - home of the university library & the library of the Eastern Church leader
Housed Christian, Latin and Greek works
By 450 AD collection grew to 100,000
Mission - scholarly & religious
Sustained roots of Western society
Renaissance would not have been possible without the preservation of Western materials in the library

10. V. Maintaining the Scholarly Mission—cont’d
650 – 1000 AD libraries found in private homes, royal palaces & universities throughout Moslem Empire
70 libraries throughout Spain
With 36 libraries, Baghdad became a cultural center for the study of Greek medical, scientific & philosophical works
Libraries were found in every important city in Persia
Earliest major library - Royal Library in Damascus
Research & learning were advanced in the large university libraries in Baghdad, Cairo and Cordoba
200,000+ volumes housed in University library in Cairo
400,000 – 600,000 volumes housed in University library in Cordoba, larger than library in Alexandria

11. V. Maintaining the Scholarly Mission—cont’d
Libraries were common in private homes, royal palaces and universities—cont’d
70 libraries throughout Spain
Like libraries in the Byzantine Empire, Moslem libraries contained Arabic works, Persian literature, Greek & Latin philosophy & scientific works
Moslem libraries made a significant contribution to Western culture by preserving the works of Western thought such as Aristotle
Decline of the Moslem Empire resulted in the decline of libraries

12. VI. The Religious Mission
Middle Ages - monastic libraries survived fall of Roman Empire
Social & economic instability prevalent throughout Western Europe, resulting in the decline of libraries
AD Christian monasteries provided a means of isolating Christian believers spiritually, geographically & from chaos spreading across Europe
Mission of the libraries –three fold
Provide a place for spiritual reflection
Archive religious texts
Copy & reproduce religious and secular texts in a room called the scriptorium

13. VI. The Religious Mission—cont’d
The mission of the libraries—cont’d
Monasteries in Italy, Ireland, England, Scotland, France and Switzerland regarded the copying of tests differently
Purpose of copying religious texts was to derive inspiration
Illuminated manuscripts were created to reveal the beauty of God
Monastic libraries preserved the writings of antiquity

14. VII. Educational Mission of Libraries
AD - educational mission of libraries changed due to improved economic & social conditions
Growth of cities & towns
Improved trade
Improved intellectual climate
Cathedral & university libraries in the late Middle Ages were larger than those in monasteries, & supported cathedral educational programs
Larger cities had a middle class that did not rely on church teachings to guide intellectual pursuits

15. VII. Educational Mission of Libraries—cont’d
Academic centers were created in Bologna, Paris and Oxford in cooperation with religions sects, such as the Dominicans and Franciscans, supporting classical & professional instruction in philosophy, medicine & law
Mid-13th century, University of Paris established the first university library, followed by Oxford & Cambridge Universities
Mission of small libraries less than 1,000 items was to support & expand the university educational mission, & support the transition from the domination of the medieval church to the Renaissance

16. VIII. Humanistic Mission and the Reemergence of the Personal Library
Centered in Florence & Venice, the period following the Middle Ages was a time of economic, social and political ferment
Factors included
1. Rise of secular monarchies,
2. Increased sense of nationalism,
3. Increase in literacy,
4. Renewed interest in natural sciences & secular politics,
5. Reawakening of philosophical traditions of the ancient Greeks and Romans and
6. Decline in the power of the church

17. VIII. Humanistic Mission—cont’d
Renaissance evolved into a revival of humanism
Increased enthusiasm from the Aristocracy
Developed great private libraries by leading literary figures i.e. Petrarch and Boccaccio
Sponsored by popes, dukes & passionate book collectors for personal vanity & a genuine interest in secular learning
Agents sent throughout Western Europe to locate and recover manuscripts in deteriorating monastic libraries
Libraries were richly appointed, filled with beautifully illuminated texts
Libraries served as places for scholarship
Places where aristocrats could display their sensitivity to classical Latin

18. IX. The Printing Press: Making the Modern Library Possible
1454, invention of the printing press in Mainz, Germany had a profound affect on all libraries
Books were available to the masses for the first time
There was an increased desire for learning
The invention of the printing press resulted in numerous changes
Production of exact copies of manuscripts became possible
Volume of printed materials increased dramatically
More titles & copies were produced
More subjects were covered, i.e. bibles & prayer books, grammatical & scholastic works, papal bulls & indulgence certificates & vernacular works

19. IX. The Printing Press: Making the Modern Library Possible—cont’d
Invention of the printing press—cont’d
New techniques for the organization of published materials were created
Literacy & education for the general population was stimulated
Invention of the printing press coincided with the reawaking of secular and scientific interests during the Renaissance, forming a foundation for the growth in the number and size of libraries

20. X. National Libraries and Promoting National Pride
The emergence of the National Library coincided with the growth of secular monarchies & nationalism
National libraries were created in England, France, Germany, Denmark & Scotland in the 17th century
In the 18th & 19th centuries, national libraries emerged in Austria, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Spain & Iceland
National libraries had a special mission of preserving the cultural heritage by developing a comprehensive collection of materials by & about their respective countries through books, documents, manuscripts & other records

21. X. National Libraries and Promoting National Pride—cont’d
Depository Right - law passed in some countries requiring at least one copy of each item to be deposited in that country’s national library
In the United States, the depository right is held by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress is not the official national library of the United States but a close approximation

22. Thank you for your attention.