The Library: A Fragile History
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- Create Date：2021-11-21 11:21:50
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Andrew Pettegree
- ISBN：1668603772
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Summary
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 explore the contested and dramatic history of the library， from the famous collections of the ancient world to the embattled public resources we cherish today。 Along the way， they introduce us to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world's great collections， trace the rise and fall of fashions and tastes， and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanors committed in pursuit of rare and valuable manuscripts。 In doing so， they reveal that while collections themselves are fragile， often falling into ruin within a few decades， like 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 for book lovers， 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 explore the contested and dramatic history of the library， from the famous collections of the ancient world to the embattled public resources we cherish today。 Along the way， they introduce us to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world's great collections， trace the rise and fall of fashions and tastes， and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanors committed in pursuit of rare and valuable manuscripts。 In doing so， they reveal that while collections themselves are fragile， often falling into ruin within a few decades， like 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 for book lovers， collectors， and anyone who has ever gotten blissfully lost in the stacks。
Reviews
Cindy
，
Very thorough history of libraries - starting with Ancient Rome and going forward through the challenges libraries face today。 Lots of interesting information - and new information， even though I've read books about libraries before。 Here is one of my favorites - Greeting/warning to users of the Amsterdam library in the 18th century:You learned sir， who enter among books，don't slam the door with your tumultuous hand;nor let your rowdy foot create a bang，a nuisance to the Muse。 Then， if you see s Very thorough history of libraries - starting with Ancient Rome and going forward through the challenges libraries face today。 Lots of interesting information - and new information， even though I've read books about libraries before。 Here is one of my favorites - Greeting/warning to users of the Amsterdam library in the 18th century:You learned sir， who enter among books，don't slam the door with your tumultuous hand;nor let your rowdy foot create a bang，a nuisance to the Muse。 Then， if you see someoneseated within， greet him by bowing，and with a silent nod: nor waffle gossip: here it's the dead who speak to them who work。 。。。more
Taylor - Muse Ignited Reads
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A bibliophiles dream bound in a single edition！ And while undoubtedly scholarly and historical this is the sort of book that can also be perused in small doses by any lover of books and libraries， whether they are regularly in pursuit of knowledge or entertaining escapism in their choice of reading material。 **Thank you so much to both NegGalley and Basic Books/Hachette for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review！ I loved it so much I bought a hardcover copy the day it came out。**T A bibliophiles dream bound in a single edition！ And while undoubtedly scholarly and historical this is the sort of book that can also be perused in small doses by any lover of books and libraries， whether they are regularly in pursuit of knowledge or entertaining escapism in their choice of reading material。 **Thank you so much to both NegGalley and Basic Books/Hachette for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review！ I loved it so much I bought a hardcover copy the day it came out。**This comprehensive tome covers the history of the library from the great mythos of the Library of Alexandria to the Bodleian to the Library of Congress; from parchments and scrolls， to illuminated manuscripts to the advent of the printing press and production of the dime paperback; from collectors and the first auctions and specialist booksellers; from private collections to Universities， from lending libraries to public libraries， from the first bookmobiles to the Appalachian pack horse libraries - this book covers the growth， decline， 。and regrowth over and over again all across our globe。 One of the most interesting parts to me in the history of the printed page （and covered here） is the eventual popularity of fiction （vs non-fiction "learned reading"） and the eschewing of that form of print in the larger collecting of books in libraries。 How lending/circulating libraries （primarily sources of fiction） were "fretted over what might fall into the hands of their wives and daughters， apprentices and servants or impressionable youths。" They were "denounced as purveyors of pornography and books of brain-rotting triviality" in the 18th & 19th century。 Ironically much similar is still said in the modern era， especially with the advent of the popular paperback novel。 and that oh so poo-pooed upon "romance" novel， which got its bad reputation as far back as 1773 as being written "solely for the use of circulating libraries， and very proper to debauch all young women who are still undebauched。" I'm pretty sure there are still people saying the same thing today。 There are modern era anecdotes that will both shock， appall and entertain - from the 1989 San Francisco Earthquake which led to the revamping of the Library and the sudden disappearance of some where between 200，000-500，000 books into a landfill - a debacle that is still kept relatively hushed up - to the discovery of a librarians 10，000 plus purloined hoard found in his house in 1982。 The book also covers the oft prophesized decline of books and libraries （yes its supposed decline was stated long before the advent of the modern technological era）， with some very up to date information all the way up to our global epidemic and its effects on both reading and libraries。 This advance of the tech age is possibly the most thought provoking portion of the book as it effects us as readers today， and this book provides plenty of insight。 "More fundamentally， are books just too slow for the modern world， where our mindscape is dominated by a smart phone？" "The internet， it is true， is the perfect tool for an impatient age， we love the convenience of same day delivery， but we complain more and more of the stress of the relentless pace of life。 Libraries and books encourage reflective thought。 We cannot delegate the whole burden of returning balance to our lives to classes and therapeutic groups。 A book creates a mindfulness class of one。" "Most of all ， by empowering the digital revolution， librarians have given up the one unique selling point which they defended so tenaciously for almost as long as we have had libraries: the right to apply their knowledge， taste and discrimination to assisting the choice of their patrons。 This has been the key to understanding so much in this book: the idea that in an age of plenty there will always be helpmates to assist readers in making the right choice of book。 Can the internet， in all its enormous variety， ever replace this reflective process of deliberation， the slow choosing the eager anticipation， the slow unfolding of plot？" （and while impressive algorithms have made it easy to find "more of the same" - "What if we want something different， rather than more of the same？ What if we do not know that we want something different， but a chance encounter sparks our interests？"）So lots of thought provoking questions here as well as history and bibliphilism （and as a true book lover and collector I also loved the portions about private collectors and the building of their collections）。 This is a must have book for booklovers and bibliophiles the world over！ 。。。more
Shari Suarez
，
A very thorough history of libraries from the vaunted Library of Alexandria to today's current public libraries this is a very readable history。 It covers the personalities involved in libraries like Thomas Bodley and Andrew Carnegie and covers the way libraries are thought of throughout the world。 The only area that wasn't fully represented was Latin America but that's a small quibble。 Overall， a must read for those who love books， reading & libraries。 A very thorough history of libraries from the vaunted Library of Alexandria to today's current public libraries this is a very readable history。 It covers the personalities involved in libraries like Thomas Bodley and Andrew Carnegie and covers the way libraries are thought of throughout the world。 The only area that wasn't fully represented was Latin America but that's a small quibble。 Overall， a must read for those who love books， reading & libraries。 。。。more
Sheri Metzger Karmiol
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I love books about books。 I have spent most of my life in libraries。 In fact， I have spent most of my life with my face buried in books。 When I retired as a university literature professor， I promptly volunteered as a librarian。 NetGalley is the perfect app for me。 NetGalley is rather like being let loose in a candy shop。 I seem to request every book that I see that has bookseller， bookbinder， book writer， or library in the title。 When I requested "The Library，" I had no idea about the content o I love books about books。 I have spent most of my life in libraries。 In fact， I have spent most of my life with my face buried in books。 When I retired as a university literature professor， I promptly volunteered as a librarian。 NetGalley is the perfect app for me。 NetGalley is rather like being let loose in a candy shop。 I seem to request every book that I see that has bookseller， bookbinder， book writer， or library in the title。 When I requested "The Library，" I had no idea about the content of the book。 Fortunately， the history provided by authors， Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen， in their non-fiction book， "The Library，" turned out to be just as interesting as I had expected。 When we travel， I seek out libraries throughout Europe。 I recognized some of those libraries in "The Library。" I have been in libraries in monasteries and in the Vatican， in the Bodleian Library in Oxford， in the old British Library in London， and in the Folger Library in Washington DC。 And so， of course I found "The Library" captivating。 Every one of the libraries that I have visited left me nearly speechless and in awe。 It was a thrill to recognize so many of the descriptions in Pettegree and der Weduwen's book。 The role of money and religion in establishing libraries and the collecting of books was not a surprise。 The same holds true today。 Libraries continue to need money。 While libraries no longer buy books by the yard， the need to fill shelves remains important。 The history that Pettegree and der Weduwen provide is fascinating， and while much of it was not surprising to me， there were other sections that made me smile， such as an acknowledgement of the power that libraries hold。 The destruction of libraries， whether in Alexandria or World War II are sad beyond words。The photos and illustrations in "The Library" were terrific。 I could only wish there were more of them。 Anyone who loves libraries， the history of libraries， the history of books， and all the various permutations of books will love this book。 I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley giving me access to this ARC of The Library。 。。。more
Darlene Messenger
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I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own。Release Date: November 9， 2021。From the time I signed my first library card; giving me access to thousands of titles; I was fascinated with the library。 In this book， a historical perspective on the library， the reader enters the halls of art， writing， collecting， and conquest。 From antiquity to the modern library， the reader of this fine book will learn about how historical and cultural I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own。Release Date: November 9， 2021。From the time I signed my first library card; giving me access to thousands of titles; I was fascinated with the library。 In this book， a historical perspective on the library， the reader enters the halls of art， writing， collecting， and conquest。 From antiquity to the modern library， the reader of this fine book will learn about how historical and cultural changes to the library which altered thought and learning。 Well written in an easy style， this book was enjoyable and an excellent reference for future reading as well。 I admit to needing to review this in a timely fashion and will be curling up to read a second time out of pure enjoyment。 。。。more
Deborah
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Thank you， NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review。Complex and meticulously researched， Andrew Pettegrew and Arthur der Weduwen’s The Library: A Fragile History leads the reader on a tumultuous journey filled with accounts of destruction， loss， power struggles， survival， and above all resilience。 From the famed， ancient Library of Alexandria， to the modern media center， and all iterations in between， this well-executed historical exploration provides an ac Thank you， NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review。Complex and meticulously researched， Andrew Pettegrew and Arthur der Weduwen’s The Library: A Fragile History leads the reader on a tumultuous journey filled with accounts of destruction， loss， power struggles， survival， and above all resilience。 From the famed， ancient Library of Alexandria， to the modern media center， and all iterations in between， this well-executed historical exploration provides an account perfect for anyone with an affinity toward libraries。 Though the writing is， at times， a bit dry， the book succeeds in its lofty goal to chronicle the sometimes tragic and sometimes sordid story behind the contemporary library system。 。。。more
Brenda
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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
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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
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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
Alexandra
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I read this courtesy of NetGalley。 Oh。 My。 What an astonishing book。 Honestly I've had such a good year for book-related histories: The Gilded Page （Mary Wellesley）， and The Bookseller of Florence （Ross King）， and now this。 Interestingly， this book contains parts of those two， because understanding how libraries function requires some knowledge of books themselves function， and how the book trade functions。 It's been like a mini-course in the whole book production history of Europe。 The authors I read this courtesy of NetGalley。 Oh。 My。 What an astonishing book。 Honestly I've had such a good year for book-related histories: The Gilded Page （Mary Wellesley）， and The Bookseller of Florence （Ross King）， and now this。 Interestingly， this book contains parts of those two， because understanding how libraries function requires some knowledge of books themselves function， and how the book trade functions。 It's been like a mini-course in the whole book production history of Europe。 The authors begin with a discussion of the fabled Library of Alexandria， which is appropriate given its mythical place in the history of libraries。。。 and ALSO that there's some attempt to do something similar in the Alexandria of today， which is， let's say， not the Alexandria of yesteryear。 What utterly intrigued me was the way that exactly what a library is FOR has changed over the centuries。 I am a huge fan of the public library， and absolutely uphold its place as a community resource。 I do know that in medieval Europe， libraries were the province of monasteries and nobles - not least because that reflects the literacy of the age， and also the aspirations of such people。 It was the use of libraries as exhibitions of wealth that was one aspect explored beautifully here - collecting the 'right' books， and beautiful versions。 And then how do you have architecture that reflects that？ If you're worried about scholars nicking off with your precious tomes， and you only have a few books， then you chain the books up （literally） and your building reflects that。 But when books starting getting more accessible and you are HAPPY for them to be accessed （unlike Oxford libraries not allowing students in and having opening hours for about three hours a week）， then what the rooms look like needs to change。 I deeply appreciated the exploration of libraries as both weapons within colonialism and imperialism， and victims of it too。 Colonial outposts in NZ and India being sent books; translations into the languages of the colonised; and libraries being looted， or outright destroyed， across the globe - these are things that need to be remembered and dealt with as people keep thinking about the use and abuse of knowledge as power。 It would have been so easy to not include those things， and to stick with somehow seeing libraries as just repositories of books - ignoring books as power - but I'm so glad the authors wanted to give a rich and full exploration of libraries as institutions。 Look， I just loved this book。 It's beautifully written and has lovely images。 It covers predominantly European examples of libraries。 It does so across just over two millennia， from monastery to castle to private home to public institution。 And the modern arguments about what a library is for！ Clearly these authors are defenders of the existence of libraries， but they're not just stuck in mid-20th century versions。 They are， if anything， ambitious for what place libraries can and should have in communities。 I love books and I love libraries and this was a wonderful history of them both。 。。。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
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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
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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）
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