The story of libraries : from the invention of writing to the computer age
"This book, which includes fourteen well-chosen illustrations, describes the crucial role libraries have played throughout history: in ancient Egypt, China, the classical Western world, Islam, and medieval and Renaissance Europe. It continues with the libraries of colonial America, The Library of Congress, university libraries, and today's large public library systems. Throughout the twentieth century, libraries have both supported democratic institutions and have also been tools of Nazi and Soviet totalitarianism. At the dawn of the telecommunications and computer age, it is evident that libraries of the future will play a vital role in the preservation of crumbling books and documents, and in forming new ways of preserving our culture."--Jacket
History
246 pages, 10 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm
9780826411143, 9780826413284, 9780826413253, 0826411142, 0826413285, 0826413250
50771260
The earliest libraries
Libraries of classical antiquity
Lanterns of the Dark Ages
Libraries of the Orient
Libraries of the Islamic world
The high Middle Ages
Gutenberg's legacy
Treasuries of the book
The repositories of knowledge
Libraries for the people
The rising generation
Putting knowledge to work
The craft of librarianship
Libraries of the future