The Library: An Illustrated History

Saw this book whilst browsing at the British Library so had a quick glance that showed was plenty of content to purchase. Interesting reviews of many of the great libraries of the world

As a child growing up in Malaysia, our local library was very poorly stocked (and did not have many books in the English language either). Luckily, my school library was different - thanks to the generosity of patrons, my school library was well-stocked with the classics of English literature, and I devoured them one by one, and I have loved books and libraries ever since. In "The Library: An Illustrated History", readers get a glimpse of various libraries over the ages and in different countries. The book is well-organized into the following chapters:The Ancient LibrariesEuropean Libraries of the Middle AgesAsia and IslamEurope's High Middle AgesRenaissance to ReformationPeople of the BookWar and a Golden AgeThe Library in Colonial North AmericaThe Library in the Young United StatesThe Library MovementOrganizing KnowledgeLibraries, Librarians, and Media CentersThe book is also peppered throughout with photographs of actual libraries, illustrations of some of the ancient libraries, and quotes. The final part of the book is a listing of some of the most prominent libraries in the world, due to their age, reputation, as well as uniqueness. Some of those included are Bibliotheque Nationale de France; the British Library; Austrian National Library; National Library of Russia; Toronto Public Library, Canada; Royal Library of the Netherlands; New York Public Library; National Library of China, Beijing; National Library of Iran; Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt, and many more. There is also a list of sources at the end of the book, and also recommended titles for further reading.I would recommend this book to book lovers and those who have always had an abiding love of libraries, and I end with this quote by Norman Cousins: "The library is not a shrine for the worship of books. It is not a temple where literary incense must be burned or where one's devotion to the bound book is expressed in ritual. A library, to modify the famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas - a place where history comes to life"Also recommended:  The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World . The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World

アメリカ史の専門家（Murrary）と図書館史の専門家（デイヴィス）の共著で書かれた世界の図書館史入門。専門家向けではなく、世界にあまねく存在する著名な図書館を写真やグラビアを含めて解説しながら、人類が如何に知の伝承を図るために古代から営々と築き上げた図書館の歴史を前半に紹介し、後半は近代の図書館が営々と知の組織化に勤しんだありさまを描き出す。アジアからは日本の国立国会図書館本館の桜の満開時期に撮られたショットと中国国家図書館を収める。表紙はニューヨーク公共図書館のローズ閲覧室が飾る。世の図書館がハイブリッド図書館になっても不易な知の保存に勤しむ姿をグローバルにまとめた１冊。万人向けの編集で、楽しませる。　本書の邦訳が原書房から刊行された『図説 図書館の歴史：　知の収集と共有の軌跡』（2011/12/1刊）である。英語が読めれば、カラー図版も美しいので、原著である本書がお奨め。

Okay, I’m only on page 8, and already I’ve been fondly brought back to my childhood and beloved trips to the local library, reminded of my favorite adult library and how much I miss it now that we’ve moved hundreds of miles away, and decided to study ancient languages...all proving that even a book about libraries confirms how ‘magical’ libraries are! Looking forward to what the rest holds! Make sure to read the forwards and introductions as well!

I needed this book for a "History of Libraries" class for my masters degree in Library and Information Science. I took this course in my last semester because I thought this subject would be the most enjoyable. This book did not disappoint. This will always be a part of my personal library collection. It's amazing to see how far libraries have come throughout the ages and the stories of conquerors who tried to decimate entire cultures and their history by destroying libraries. There is so much we take for granted in the digital age of information. There is so much that will be lost to history forever due to conquests and banning of books. So glad I was introduced to this book.