The Library: A Fragile History
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- Create Date：2021-11-11 05:21:30
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Andrew Pettegree
- ISBN：1541600770
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Summary
The dramatic and contested history of the library， from the ancient world to the digital age
Famed across the known world， jealously guarded by private collectors， built up over centuries， destroyed in a single day， ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes， or filled with bean bags and children’s drawings—the history of the library is rich， varied， and stuffed full of incident。 In The Library， historians Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen introduce us to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world’s great collections， trace the rise and fall of literary tastes， and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanors committed in pursuit of rare manuscripts。 In doing so， they reveal that while collections themselves are fragile， often falling into ruin within a few decades， the idea of the library has been remarkably resilient as each generation makes—and remakes—the institution anew。
Beautifully written and deeply researched， The Library is essential reading for booklovers， collectors， and anyone who has ever gotten blissfully lost in the stacks。
Famed across the known world， jealously guarded by private collectors， built up over centuries， destroyed in a single day， ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes， or filled with bean bags and children’s drawings—the history of the library is rich， varied， and stuffed full of incident。 In The Library， historians Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen introduce us to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world’s great collections， trace the rise and fall of literary tastes， and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanors committed in pursuit of rare manuscripts。 In doing so， they reveal that while collections themselves are fragile， often falling into ruin within a few decades， the idea of the library has been remarkably resilient as each generation makes—and remakes—the institution anew。
Beautifully written and deeply researched， The Library is essential reading for booklovers， collectors， and anyone who has ever gotten blissfully lost in the stacks。
Reviews
Brenda
，
Imagine the sheer amount of effort required to acquire your personal library from scratch in ancient times！ One religious text may require up to 50 animals and a very patient scribe or two。 To have a library of any kind would have been rare。 Literacy rates were low， few could afford luxuries。 It is unimaginable for most of us to comprehend the lack of access to life-enriching reading materials throughout history。 This meticulously-researched book is chock full to the brim with everything you wan Imagine the sheer amount of effort required to acquire your personal library from scratch in ancient times！ One religious text may require up to 50 animals and a very patient scribe or two。 To have a library of any kind would have been rare。 Literacy rates were low， few could afford luxuries。 It is unimaginable for most of us to comprehend the lack of access to life-enriching reading materials throughout history。 This meticulously-researched book is chock full to the brim with everything you want to know about libraries including materials used for recording （papyrus， parchment， vellum。。。）， plundering collections after wars， lives of scribes， moving collections from country to country， private collections， storage， maintenance， literacy， public displays， role of monasteries and religion， printing presses driving down prices， booksellers， medical collections， chained books， deliberate book burning （and loss in accidental fires）， library labels， subscription libraries， library acts， the effects of radio and internet and censorship。So much to love about this meaty book。 I really like the inclusion of quantities of books owned by various people hundreds and thousands of years ago and would love to meet some of them！ Several literally lived for books and thankfully placed great importance upon them。 As society and politics change， libraries adapt。 I am filled with gratitude for our library system which is a life saver especially during long， cold and snowy winters。 As long as there are readers， there will be libraries of some kind， preferably physical。 My library is my pride and joy！Those who adore books about books ought to read this。 Yes， it is rather long and academic but gripping， educational and includes fascinating photographs。 My sincere thank you to Perseus Books， Basic Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this stellar book！ 。。。more
Moonkiszt
，
A library lover's dream！ Full of history， from the beginning of the beginning， and a careful tour through the libraries that have shaped our written record of humanity。 An encyclopedic read， wrapping a reader roundabout with all those hours of research， the many crooks and crannies investigated and historical detective-diving obvious in every chapter。Don't be shy， bookworms。 This is the one to read。A Sincere Thanks to Andrew Pettegree; Arthur der Weduwen， Perseus Books and NetGalley for an ARC t A library lover's dream！ Full of history， from the beginning of the beginning， and a careful tour through the libraries that have shaped our written record of humanity。 An encyclopedic read， wrapping a reader roundabout with all those hours of research， the many crooks and crannies investigated and historical detective-diving obvious in every chapter。Don't be shy， bookworms。 This is the one to read。A Sincere Thanks to Andrew Pettegree; Arthur der Weduwen， Perseus Books and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review。 。。。more
Sharon Tyler
，
The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree; Arthur der Weduwen is currently scheduled for release on November 7 2021。 Famed across the known world， jealously guarded by private collectors， built up over centuries， destroyed in a single day， ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes， or filled with bean bags and children’s drawings—the history of the library is rich， varied， and stuffed full of incident。 Historians Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen introduce readers to the antiquarians The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree; Arthur der Weduwen is currently scheduled for release on November 7 2021。 Famed across the known world， jealously guarded by private collectors， built up over centuries， destroyed in a single day， ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes， or filled with bean bags and children’s drawings—the history of the library is rich， varied， and stuffed full of incident。 Historians Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen introduce readers to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world’s great collections， trace the rise and fall of literary tastes， and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanors committed in pursuit of rare manuscripts。 In doing so， they reveal that while collections themselves are fragile， often falling into ruin within a few decades， the idea of the library has been remarkably resilient as each generation makes—and remakes—the institution anew。The Library: A Fragile History is a well written and thoroughly researched book。 It gives an overview of the history of libraries， highlighting some notable libraries and collectors along the way。 I think the information is very well organized， and I appreciated the inclusion of some women that have had an impact， which is often left out or written about in a condescending way。 I appreciate the amount of research and work that went into the book， and found the subject matter fascinating。 However， I think those most interested would do better to tackle this book one section at a time rather than trying to read it straight through。 The information is great， it is meticulously researched and cited， but the text reads a bot dry and dense。 The passion the authors， and most readers that pick up this book， feel is not conveyed through the text making it a less engaging read。 I am still very glad I read it and learned so much， and I think those interested in the title and subject matter will be as well。 It is just a slightly more dense non fiction read than I normally enjoy。 As one would hope， and expect， from a book about libraries the lists of citations and the bibliography was complete and though。 This made me happier as a reader because I could further explore the sources used in researching this book。 The Library: A Fragile History is a book that will appeal to anyone that has ever fallen in love with reading， books， libraries， or the trappings of any related topics。 。。。more
Dora Okeyo
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This offered me some insight into the history of libraries and how over the years people collected and shared and stored books， however， it was not as truly captivating as I had hoped it would be and took me a while to read and enjoy， mainly because of the detailed information/research。Thanks Netgalley for the eARC。
Ashley （Red-Haired Ash Reads）
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Rating: DNF 40 pagesI was excited to read this book because it's a history of books。 What's not to get excited about！ This is clearly a well researched book because the author spared no details。 It was very dense which made it difficult， and unfun， to read。 I am 40 pages in and I have retained no real information about who or what was discussed， which is why I am DNF。 I wish this was less dense， and not as dry because it would have an interesting book then。 *ARC provided by Netgalley for an h Rating: DNF 40 pagesI was excited to read this book because it's a history of books。 What's not to get excited about！ This is clearly a well researched book because the author spared no details。 It was very dense which made it difficult， and unfun， to read。 I am 40 pages in and I have retained no real information about who or what was discussed， which is why I am DNF。 I wish this was less dense， and not as dry because it would have an interesting book then。 *ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review。*You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads。 。。。more
Jacquie
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The LibraryAndrew Pettegree; Arthur der WeduwenRelease date: 09 Nov 2021Description: "Perfect for book lovers， this is a fascinating exploration of the history of libraries and the people who built them， from the ancient world to the digital age。Famed across the known world， jealously guarded by private collectors， built up over centuries， destroyed in a single day， ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes， or filled with bean bags and children’s drawings—the history of the library is rich， varie The LibraryAndrew Pettegree; Arthur der WeduwenRelease date: 09 Nov 2021Description: "Perfect for book lovers， this is a fascinating exploration of the history of libraries and the people who built them， from the ancient world to the digital age。Famed across the known world， jealously guarded by private collectors， built up over centuries， destroyed in a single day， ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes， or filled with bean bags and children’s drawings—the history of the library is rich， varied， and stuffed full of incident。 In The Library， historians Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen introduce us to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world’s great collections， trace the rise and fall of literary tastes， and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanors committed in pursuit of rare manuscripts。 In doing so， they reveal that while collections themselves are fragile， often falling into ruin within a few decades， the idea of the library has been remarkably resilient as each generation makes—and remakes - the institution anew。Beautifully written and deeply researched， The Library is essential reading for booklovers， collectors， and anyone who has ever gotten blissfully lost in the stacks。" Review:The history of the world （the last 2000 years） as seen through the eyes of a book！Highly recommended for all bibliophiles！ Extremely well-written and superbly researched。Libraries have been around for a very long time， but they've never had an easy go of it。 Wars， religious controversies， natural disasters， politics and plunder have all had a catastrophic effect on libraries。 But， did you know "the most destructive epoch in the history of the library" was World War II？So many other interesting facts & quotes:"The thirty copies of the Gutenberg Bible printed on parchment required the skins of at least 5，000 calves。"Fernando Colon， son of Christopher Columbus， was the first to attempt the creation of a universal library during the early 1500s。"If there is one lesson from the centuries-long story of the library， it is that libraries only last as long as people find them useful。" In order to survive， libraries need to adapt。"I will be purchasing this book when it becomes available！I was gifted this advance copy by NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review。 。。。more
Sandy Eichelberger
，
Pettegree and derWeduwen have done a thorough job of presenting the history of libraries and books from the early beginnings through the challenges facing libraries today。 Based upon the extensive notes and bibliography at the end， it is abundantly clear that the authors did a great deal of research。 The book's historical examination focuses on the impact of books and libraries throughout the world。Though some might think the topic would be a tad dry， this book manages to hold readers’ interest Pettegree and derWeduwen have done a thorough job of presenting the history of libraries and books from the early beginnings through the challenges facing libraries today。 Based upon the extensive notes and bibliography at the end， it is abundantly clear that the authors did a great deal of research。 The book's historical examination focuses on the impact of books and libraries throughout the world。Though some might think the topic would be a tad dry， this book manages to hold readers’ interest through stories of people critical to the survival of books and libraries。 As this historical account advances， readers are treated to the growing role of libraries and books during the Middle Ages through World Wars and up to the present。 The current bastions of knowledge have evolved from personal， religious， and college collections into cornerstones of our public institutions。 Throughout history， libraries have faced challenges to their existence and the current situation is no exception。This is a delightful， informative book that examines one of our most cherished institutions and shows us how book lovers and librarians have helped libraries survive threats throughout time。 For all who love history and especially those who love books and libraries， this is a fascinating read。 。。。more
Jeff
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Comprehensive History。 This is a fairly dense （yet readable） comprehensive history of humanity's efforts to store its written words。 We begin all the way back in ancient Mesopotamia with some discussion of even their clay tablets， and we come all the way through the digital and eReader era （which the authors are a bit more pessimistic about than this reader， who is admittedly a technologist）。 While other areas such as China， Africa， India， （modern） Australia， and Columbian era Middle America are Comprehensive History。 This is a fairly dense （yet readable） comprehensive history of humanity's efforts to store its written words。 We begin all the way back in ancient Mesopotamia with some discussion of even their clay tablets， and we come all the way through the digital and eReader era （which the authors are a bit more pessimistic about than this reader， who is admittedly a technologist）。 While other areas such as China， Africa， India， （modern） Australia， and Columbian era Middle America are mentioned at times， the vast majority of the focus of the discussion here is Euro-centric， with detailed discussions of American library systems once the discussion advances to the relevant time periods。 Indeed， as it turns out， the "modern public library" as Americans know it today？ Did not exist prior to WWII in any real form at all， though through the efforts of business titans such as Andrew Carnegie （discussed in much depth here in the text）， the earlier forms of it were beginning by the late 19th century。 Truly a fascinating book， but also truly a very long one。 Anyone remotely interested in books and reading should probably at least consider reading this， as it really is a remarkable history of the book， its uses， and its storage。 Very much recommended。 。。。more
Susan
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See my review at Reading World See my review at Reading World 。。。more
Steve
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In the end， this book turned out to be satisfactory。 I had almost given up on this book， stopping at around half-way through。 Most of the content to that point consisted of dates， names， places， and number of books。 Combined with the formal tone， I just couldn’t bring myself to invest any more time in the book， despite whatever interest the content may have generated。 However other reviewers indicated that the book improved once the subject matter turned to more modern libraries。 The other revie In the end， this book turned out to be satisfactory。 I had almost given up on this book， stopping at around half-way through。 Most of the content to that point consisted of dates， names， places， and number of books。 Combined with the formal tone， I just couldn’t bring myself to invest any more time in the book， despite whatever interest the content may have generated。 However other reviewers indicated that the book improved once the subject matter turned to more modern libraries。 The other reviewers were correct。 I skipped ahead to Part 5 and I found I enjoyed the book much more。 Gone was the minutiae of the beginning of the book， with a lot more historical perspective and societal background。 The formal tone， however， persisted。 Thank you to Netgalley and Perseus Books， Basic Books for the advance reader copy。 。。。more
Lauren
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Though this book is well-researched and well-written， it's very dense and I found that I didn't enjoy the content and the way it was presented quite as much as I thought I would。 That being said， I did find much of this book interesting， and I did learn a lot about the history of libraries。 I'd definitely recommend if you're interested in how our modern libraries came to be。 Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC。 Though this book is well-researched and well-written， it's very dense and I found that I didn't enjoy the content and the way it was presented quite as much as I thought I would。 That being said， I did find much of this book interesting， and I did learn a lot about the history of libraries。 I'd definitely recommend if you're interested in how our modern libraries came to be。 Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC。 。。。more
icey ❀
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A very thorough book about the history of libraries， how they started out in societies， how they changed throughout the years and how they changed us。 A heavy but very worth read that should definitely be of interest to the ones who would love to have a book about the history of books。[Thank you NetGalley and the authors for allowing me to read the e-ARC version of the book]
SSShafiq
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October 2021Abookolive recommended this for nonfiction November - it’s about libraries so YAS！！！！
Desi Wolff-Myren
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The Library is a well researched book on the history of libraries。 Sadly， it was boring and a lot of the book bleed together for me。 So much of was about the collections of individual men and how much their collections were worth。 The most interesting part was the last chapters because it dealt with modern libraries。 But I felt like they were rushed and could have said more。 Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book to review。
Randal White
，
An extremely thorough look into the history of libraries。 Very comprehensive。 A tad too much for me， but I can see where someone who is a real bibliophile would really enjoy it。 Would serve as a good reference book。 Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reading copy。
Michael Mullady
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I read this as part of NetGalley This was such an amazing and thorough recounting of the make up and scope of libraries from ancient times until now。 I was impressed with the amount of detail and research that went into this and the writing was far from dry as it wove through time and scope。If anything， it shows with extreme clarity how much we’ve lost over time and how many works no longer exists that most likely should be celebrated。 Time， decay， wars， religion， revolutions， and censorship fro I read this as part of NetGalley This was such an amazing and thorough recounting of the make up and scope of libraries from ancient times until now。 I was impressed with the amount of detail and research that went into this and the writing was far from dry as it wove through time and scope。If anything， it shows with extreme clarity how much we’ve lost over time and how many works no longer exists that most likely should be celebrated。 Time， decay， wars， religion， revolutions， and censorship from the Roman times until present day have robbed us of more books than we’ll ever know。 The only wish I had for this book is that they spent more time in Asia and talking through books there and how， even if very different， libraries existed and manifested。 There is only passing references through the books outside of India and almost no color on Africa and Southeast Asia。 The library， in all its manifestations over the centuries is still a common good and will continue to be for centuries to come。 。。。more
Dan
，
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Perseus Books for an advanced copy of this history title。 Books about books are always fun， especially for a bibliophile who dreams of huge libraries in studio apartments。 The Library by Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen is an expansive study on the ideas of libraries， where the ideas of libraries came from， where they are going and the importance of libraries today。 Also covered are the many libraries that are no more， the collectors who made them My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Perseus Books for an advanced copy of this history title。 Books about books are always fun， especially for a bibliophile who dreams of huge libraries in studio apartments。 The Library by Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen is an expansive study on the ideas of libraries， where the ideas of libraries came from， where they are going and the importance of libraries today。 Also covered are the many libraries that are no more， the collectors who made them and how the idea of libraries have changed over the years。 The book is not a book that you can just glance through， but is a very strong history on this subject。 The research is deep with a lot of facts， places， names， and book collections mentioned through the book。 The writing can sometimes be a tad textbook-ish， but the subject matter and the story the writers are telling， plus the narrative in some place is quite gripping is a small complaint。 What strikes most is the numerous destructions。 From accident， to wanton devastation， great collections， one of kind manuscripts， family histories are burnt， eaten， made moldy， used to wrap gifts and other uses。 Even the fact that digital libraries can be lost， and or modified is touched on pointing out that ideas might not die， but reading their original text might。 A utterly fascinating book， perfect for bibliophiles， historians and libertarians to be。 One that belongs on every shelf where ever books might be gathered。 A very good read。 。。。more
Regina Mastrogiacomo
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Every Library should own a copy of this book about how Libraries came to pass。 Here I thought it started with Benjamin Franklin， but no it came from Charlemagne who decided that other should be allowed to read in order to make better decisions。 From there， the library like humans have grown and shrank， change and then revert back， been glories and forgotten， but over thousand of years the library is still with us， not in the same way but like everything it changes。 The one amazing thing about li Every Library should own a copy of this book about how Libraries came to pass。 Here I thought it started with Benjamin Franklin， but no it came from Charlemagne who decided that other should be allowed to read in order to make better decisions。 From there， the library like humans have grown and shrank， change and then revert back， been glories and forgotten， but over thousand of years the library is still with us， not in the same way but like everything it changes。 The one amazing thing about libraries， is that it does survive at all especially with all the characters that have tried to silence it and all the books with have lost。 I wonder what we keep having to learn because the answer was in a book that was burn or destroy。I found the book easy to read but it has a lot of historical information so it took me awhile to finish it， and I find it eye opening about the struggle and creation of libraries。 I want to thank Perseus Books， Basic Books， Basic Books and NetGalley for this book about the one thing everyone on NetGalley adores， BOOKS。 。。。more
Thelma Howe
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This book takes the reader on a journey from the beginnings of the library with manuscripts， books， and ebooks。 A fabulous read， indeed！If you are a library and/or book lover， this book is for you！
Tove R。
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Extremely informative， and even intense book about libraries and the history of libraries。 I enjoyed the book because I am a fan of libraries， and interested in the history of this institution。 It is a bit on the heavier side though， because it gives the reader a lot of specific information。 I am sure I will use this book as a reference book for future needs。 I think this book might be too in-depth for a casual reader， but for someone looking for more knowledge and content this is an excellent c Extremely informative， and even intense book about libraries and the history of libraries。 I enjoyed the book because I am a fan of libraries， and interested in the history of this institution。 It is a bit on the heavier side though， because it gives the reader a lot of specific information。 I am sure I will use this book as a reference book for future needs。 I think this book might be too in-depth for a casual reader， but for someone looking for more knowledge and content this is an excellent choice！ 。。。more
Library of Dreaming （Bookstagram）
，
Thank you to Net Galley and Perseus Books for the review copy of The Library: A Fragile History， releasing Nov 9th。As an ardent bookworm and history lover， this book was a decadent treat。 The authors take you through the history of the library from Alexandria to today’s digital collections。 Along the way， the reader is treated to fascinating glimpses of long gone collections and collectors。 It’s a tale of destruction （so many lost books！） but also profound creativity。 It’s amazing to realize h Thank you to Net Galley and Perseus Books for the review copy of The Library: A Fragile History， releasing Nov 9th。As an ardent bookworm and history lover， this book was a decadent treat。 The authors take you through the history of the library from Alexandria to today’s digital collections。 Along the way， the reader is treated to fascinating glimpses of long gone collections and collectors。 It’s a tale of destruction （so many lost books！） but also profound creativity。 It’s amazing to realize how much we have in common with book lovers across the centuries。 Reading this book will give you a fuller appreciation for your local library and the ideals that lie behind it。However， I wish the book had been less Eurocentric。 Non-Western libraries are only given a cursory mention。 The story of the library is incomplete without examining its history more intensely in Asia， Africa， and the Middle East at the very least。 There was also an inaccurate reference to Jane Austen’s views on novels that reveals a sloppiness that I can only hope will be caught before publication。In the final pages， I feel like the authors were trying to express a sense of pessimism about the future of libraries。 In contrast， I feel optimistic that， whatever the future brings， the library will live on in some form。 If the authors were aware of Bookstagram， I think they would be even more encouraged。 。。。more
Mandy
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A comprehensive， wide-ranging and meticulously researched history of libraries， from their very beginnings to today， and in all their various manifestations。 And what a rich history libraries have had – and continue to have， thankfully。 Although in many ways this is a scholarly and academic work， it remains on the whole readable and accessible， with many anecdotes to leaven what is， it must be admitted， some occasionally dry narrative。 Interested – indeed at times fascinated – though I was I did A comprehensive， wide-ranging and meticulously researched history of libraries， from their very beginnings to today， and in all their various manifestations。 And what a rich history libraries have had – and continue to have， thankfully。 Although in many ways this is a scholarly and academic work， it remains on the whole readable and accessible， with many anecdotes to leaven what is， it must be admitted， some occasionally dry narrative。 Interested – indeed at times fascinated – though I was I did find myself （dare I admit it？） a little bored on occasion。 Mea culpa， perhaps。 There’s an enormous amount of information to take in so a slow and steady approach is recommended， but overall this is an important and valuable book that deserves a wide readership – and is pretty much a must read for anyone who loves books and libraries。 。。。more
Meaghan Babin
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I really enjoyed reading The Library， discovering the origins of libraries and books through time was informative and interesting。 The Library is a really great read for fans of books and history。
Triviasphinx
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A well-researched survey of the history of the library， but easily accessible to the general public， The Library covers the history of libraries from the Sumerians to the modern digital age， showing the development of literary collections for private and public use， and reveals the challenges and obstacles that have faced librarians and patrons over the centuries。 The work is comprehensive for the length of time that it covers， and readers will find much to learn about libraries， from the Librar A well-researched survey of the history of the library， but easily accessible to the general public， The Library covers the history of libraries from the Sumerians to the modern digital age， showing the development of literary collections for private and public use， and reveals the challenges and obstacles that have faced librarians and patrons over the centuries。 The work is comprehensive for the length of time that it covers， and readers will find much to learn about libraries， from the Library of Alexandria to Sir Thomas Bodley's rebuilding of the Oxford library and Andrew Carnegie's efforts to bring libraries to the English-speaking public。 A good survey of library history that deserves a spot on public as well as academic library shelves。 。。。more
max thien
，
If you have ever stood in a library or bookstore and felt in awe of the mountains of books surrounding you， you are not alone！ It has been a while since I have had to read a book slowly in order to really absorb all the information， but this book was definitely worth the effort。 Pettegree and de Weduwen give an incredibly extensive and accessible account of the history of literature， collecting books， and their value both in reality throughout the ages and philosophically。 I personally really en If you have ever stood in a library or bookstore and felt in awe of the mountains of books surrounding you， you are not alone！ It has been a while since I have had to read a book slowly in order to really absorb all the information， but this book was definitely worth the effort。 Pettegree and de Weduwen give an incredibly extensive and accessible account of the history of literature， collecting books， and their value both in reality throughout the ages and philosophically。 I personally really enjoyed the discussions about the loss of books in between accounts of the process of collecting them throughout history because it really shocks you into perspective。 Overall， it was personally a very enjoyable read， though I would recommend it to anyone interested in the history of books， libraries， and how humanity's love of books has remained remarkably consistent and determined throughout time。 I received an e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 I would like to thank Netgalley and Perseus Books for this opportunity。 。。。more
Daniel
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I really enjoyed this book。 As others have said， it's probably better to read bits and pieces at a time as it is A LOT of information。 Nevertheless， I slogged through the entire thing and enjoyed the heck out of it。 I really enjoyed that this book talked about the entire history of libraries and all of the shapes， sizes， and purposes they come in。 From the tragedy of the burning of the Library of Alexandria to rich kids in the 1700's buying up rare books to the place of the library in the digita I really enjoyed this book。 As others have said， it's probably better to read bits and pieces at a time as it is A LOT of information。 Nevertheless， I slogged through the entire thing and enjoyed the heck out of it。 I really enjoyed that this book talked about the entire history of libraries and all of the shapes， sizes， and purposes they come in。 From the tragedy of the burning of the Library of Alexandria to rich kids in the 1700's buying up rare books to the place of the library in the digital age， this book covers it all。 。。。more
Andréa
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Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley。
Christine
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Disclaimer: ARC via NetgalleytIn case you missed it， this week （the week of Sept 6， 2021） a man tweeted about how people virtue signal with large libraries and that you really shouldn’t own more than x number of books （or have x number of shelf space） and that he didn’t believe people read more than two books a week。 Needless to say the vast amount of book lovers called him out - and then he accused them of bragging about the number of books they read and virtue signaling。 Then accused them of n Disclaimer: ARC via NetgalleytIn case you missed it， this week （the week of Sept 6， 2021） a man tweeted about how people virtue signal with large libraries and that you really shouldn’t own more than x number of books （or have x number of shelf space） and that he didn’t believe people read more than two books a week。 Needless to say the vast amount of book lovers called him out - and then he accused them of bragging about the number of books they read and virtue signaling。 Then accused them of not going to the library。 Which is strange because most readers buy a lot of books and borrow from the library。 Not to mention， in some areas， local libraries are either very small or very far away。tAnyway， he doesn’t get libraries of any type really or readers for that matter。 tLucky， we have books like this one by Pettegree and de Weduwen that not only get libraries， but also get readers and those who love libraries， be they personal or public。tPettegree and de Weduwen chronicle the raise of the personal if elitist library and then move to the advent of the public library。 The bulk of the history on the library in the Western World， therefore mostly Europe and America （why is Canada always overlooked， I mean really， unless it is hockey or maple syrup）。tThat said， the book is a pretty good overview。 The coverage of the Medieval Period is well done， and includes women who developed personal libraries as well as men。 They focus on the Dutch who owned personal libraries in the periods of the Renaissance and Reformation， and move into the modern era where they discuss not only the development of the public library， especially in regards to the Carnegie libraries。 tThere is a particularly good section that discusses the rise in women readers as well as the popularity of romance novels。 Considering how little respect the romance genre and romance readers do seem to get from various histories and commenters on books， it was a nice nod to see two authors highlight the positivity of the genre。tThe subtitle comes because the focus is on the tragedies of losing libraries。 The loss of Alexandria is covered， of course; but the authors include other， less well known losses。 The modern era could use a bit more development in terms of the section about the attempts of book challenges and bans that occur， not just in the US。 It should be noted that bans and challenges are covered as are librarcides。tThe book is readable and engrossing。 It is a quick and excellent history。 Well worth the read， and the owning of， if you like books。 。。。more
Deborah Cleaves
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