What is library? A little about the history

Oxford English Dictionary defines library as: “A place set apart to contain books for reading, study, or reference. (Not applied, e.g. to the shop or warehouse of a bookseller.) In various applications more or less specific.” I think this definition telling in many ways. It begins with a description that is what most people think of when the word library is mentioned, a place with books, but I think it is interesting that the editors have added that last line which illustrates a library is more than just books.

Having a background in Classics it will come as no surprise that I loved reading about the history of libraries. Of course I had already read a little about the history of libraries. The nature and purpose that we as modern Americans think of when we think of libraries is a relatively new idea. From what evidence we have it appears that the first libraries were more like business or government records depositories than any library we have today. “Besides business records, the temples preserved the texts of hymns, prayers and incantations.” (Lerner, 1998) Our modern American library did not appear until the middle of the nineteenth century.

I have read about the library at Alexandria but I was amazed to find out about some of the less that honorable acquisition practices of the time. According to Rubin, the Ptolemies (I and II) “aggressively collected materials” as he so euphemistically describes their stealing of books from anyone and everywhere they could. (2004, p.263) What a strange practice this seems like now.

Rubin also points out that prior to this time most ancient cultures, particularly the Greeks, “had been an oral culture, and consequently there was little need for libraries”. (2004, p.263) An interesting side note about this is the fact that according to Plato’s transcriptions of Socrates conversations, it would appear that Socrates was not a fan of the written word.
“For this discovery of your will create forgetfulness in the learner’s soul, because they will not use their memories; they will trust to the external written characters and not remember of themselves. The specific you have discovered is not an aid to memory, but to reminiscence, and you give your disciples not truth, but only the semblance of truth; they will be hearers of many things and will have learned nothing, they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing, they will be tiresome company, having the show of wisdom without the reality.”(Plato)So it seems we are not the first to worry about the effects new technology will have on our society.

Something that I think is quite ironic is the fact that it appears that we have the monks to thank for saving much of the older printed works. I used to think that the monks were copying texts for some educational or preservationist purpose I didn’t realize that “sometimes copying was used as a punishment”. (Rubin, 2004. p.268) Imagine the horror of those monks if they knew that the work they did as a means to have a more religious life would pave the way for the Renaissance and the secularization of the western world.

For most of history libraries were the province of the wealthy. This makes sense when considered in light of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which seems to be the basis of the “prerequisite conditions” Rubin quotes as needed for the formation of public libraries. It is not until people have enough to eat and somewhere safe to live that they can begin to desire something like a library. It is also no coincidence that libraries began to grow as the country became more industrialized and more people learned how to read. The ALA was established in 1876, the library bill of rights was adopted in 1948. The library as we know it is a modern invention.

I love what Lerner has to say about the inception of public libraries:
“The idea of the public library is, on the face of it, an improbable one. Only recently in human history has there been widespread agreement that people have inherent rights deserving of universal respect. (Remember that the United States enforced chattel slavery until 1865.) The idea that every person should be educated is an even more recent and radical one. And the idea that society should provide its members with the means to continue their education independently was more radical still.” (1998, p.138)

Now we see the library is changing again or perhaps it is just continuing on its path or as Lauren said in her discussion board 3 post, “I don't see a next chapter in American libraries, I see a further continuation” (2008) It will be interesting to see what happens as we progress into the twenty-first century.


Kurz, L. (2008, May 27). Laruen Kurz (West Chester) replied to David’s post [post #19]. Message posted to http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=42286175612&topic=5373

Lerner, F. (1998). The story of libraries. New York. The Continuum Publishing Company.

"Library Bill of Rights," American Library Association, June 30, 2006.http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrights.cfm

Plato. Phaedrus. Retrieved from http://www.netlibrary.com/Reader/

Rubin, R. E. (2004). Foundations of library and information science (2nd ed.). New York: Neal-Schuman, Publishers, Inc.

Simpson,J. (Sr. Ed.). (1989). Oxford English Dictionary Online. (2nd ed.) http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50132733?query_type=word&queryword=library&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&result_place=1&search_id=HvHL-rSta87-3983&hilite=50132733