Andrea here, Given that this week is National Library Week, and given the very fraught challenges to libraries and books at this moment in America, I’ve decided to repost a blog I wrote a number of years ago on a wonderful book on the history of the library that had just been published—and I’ve added some very personal thoughts as to what libraries have meant to me:
The Library: An Illustrated History by Stuart A. P. Murray and co-published by the American Library Association, proved to be a fun journey through the centuries, with plenty of offbeat digressions on the development of printing, paper, and the notable bibliophiles in history who were passionate about the written word.
According to the ALA, Americans made around 1.3 billion visits to libraries in 2008 and borrowed over 2 billion items. (The stats have only grown since then.) Now, I happen to love little tidbits of information like this. But I have to confess, though there were many modern fact and figures, the most interesting part of the book for me were the anecdotes from history. So, without further ado, here are some of the things I learned . . .
“Library” derives from liber, the Latin word for book. The earliest known library was discovered during the 1970s in the ancient city Ebla, in modern-day Syria. Dating back to around 2500 BCE, it contained close to 20,000 clay tablets written in cuneiform, the earliest form of written language.
The Egyptians developed the first paper-like material (papyrus), which was used for elaborate scrolls. (The Greeks called papyrus rolls biblion, and the clay pots where they were stored bibliotheke—a place to keep books.) Using this new “technology” as well as clay tablets, they compiled the renowned ancient library at Alexandria. It is said that the library at Pergamum, in Asia Minor, began to rival Alexandria and so the Egyptians refused to export papyrus to them. Undaunted, Pergamum began to use calf, sheep and goat skin to write on—and so the Latin word for such material became pergamenum. Which explains our word “parchment.”
The Romans came up with the ‘codex’ form of book, in which scrolls were folded into “pages”. (Julius Caesar is credited with being the first to do so with his dispatches to Gaul.) This form evolved into cutting the folds, allowing for writing on both sides of the sheet. Stiff covers, usually of wood, were used to protect the pages, and thus we have the origins of our modern book. (Today, a codex refers to a manuscript from the Middle Ages or earlier.)
Theft of books has been a problem throughout the ages. In the Middle Ages, the monastic libraries took to chaining the most popular books to desks and lecterns. On a past trip to Oxford, I visited the Bodleian Library and actually saw this in Duke Humfrey’s medieval library, a section that is still open to scholars today. (Nicola informed me that people who apply for research privileges must sign a pledge that includes a promises not to burn the books—the danger from candles were a huge threat in medieval times.) Because of the chains, the books must be shelved with the pages facing outward.
Book curses have also been employed (with questionable results.) One of my favorites is a Medieval Spanish warning: Him that stealeth or borroweth and returneth not this book, let it change into a serpent in his hand and rend him. Let him be struck by palsy and all his members blasted. Let bookworms gnaw his entrails and let the flames of hell consume him forever. (Uhhh, the nickel a day fine for overdue books at my local library seems quite mild in comparison.)
For me, one of the most interesting early bibliophiles was Sir Robert Bruce Cotton. A scholar and politician, he compiled a spectacular collection of books, coins and antiquities during the mid-1500s, including the original manuscript of Beowulf and the Lindisfarne Gospels, a seventh century illuminated manuscript from northern England.
The Cottonian Library used a unique system of cataloguing its books. Fourteen busts of famous Romans were placed atop the various bookshelves and cabinets, and each item of the collection was listed with the letter of its Roman (N for Nero, etc.) a letter for the shelf, and then a Roman numeral for where on the shelf it sat. In 1702, Cotton’s grandson bequeathed the collection to the state, and in the 1750s, the British Museum and Library took charge of it. I find it endearing that the British Library still keeps Cotton’s original books organized by his “Roman” system. (The Dewey Decimal Classification didn’t come into being until 1876.)
Our Library of Congress was established in 1800, in the same act that authorized the transfer of government to Washington, DC. At first, it was, as the name implies, only for members of Congress. Thomas Jefferson, an avid bibliophile took a great interest in recommending acquisitions. When the nascent collection was burned to a crisp during the War of 1812, (Nicola, we forgive you Brits) Jefferson offered to sell Congress his private collection of 6,487 books (appraised at $23,950) to begin anew. Thank heavens the government realized what a worthy expenditure it was for the country!
One of the things that struck me as I read the book was the incredibly wide range of libraries there are around the world—from a traveling burro with a book sack slung over its back in rural Columbia to the dazzling splendor of the Vatican galleries, they come in all sizes and shapes. And some are artistic treasures in their own right. The contents are mind-boggling as well, from the broad scope of the New York Public Library to the innumerable arcane and eclectic specialized collections. Books, books, books—what a source of constant awe and delight!
On a very personal note, libraries have been an elemental part of my life since childhood. Our local library was at the end of the main street in the small town where I grew up, and my mother knew she could leave me in the children’s reading room while she went shopping and I’d never wander away from my chair. Among the many treasures I discovered there were Winnie the Pooh, The Wind in the Willows and Charlotte’s Web; the swashbuckling deeds of King Arthur and Robin Hood; the wonderful books, Rabbit Hill and The Fabulous Flight, by local author Robert Lawson.
What they had in common was how they sparked my imagination and encouraged a sense of curiosity, wonder and adventure. I was one of those girls who wasn’t very interested in girly things, and my storybook friends, be they Bear, Badger, Mole, knights or just other children, helped me dare to think outside the box.
Those books that I discovered in the library when I was a child—those stories of quests and of courage in the face of fear; those stories celebrating the power of friendship, and the power of love—were elemental in shaping who I am as a writer to day.
I found books absolutely magical. I suppose it’s no surprise that I wrote my first book at age five. It was a Western, with full color illustrations. (And yes, I’m still a lousy speller.) The power of storytelling—that alchemy of words on paper which take you to wondrous places and introduce you to wondrous friends—was transformational. (All photos by the author or courtesy of Wikicommons Media)
What about you? Have libraries been meaningful in your life? Have you a favorite library or library memory to share?
In the winter the school library was my main source of books. But in the summer my friends and I would walk the 8 or 10 blocks to our nearest local public library branch. We went about once a week, laughing and joking all the way. But when we entered the library we went quiet. Libraries seemed almost like churches to me – so calm and peaceful. We would spend the next hour or two just roaming the aisles choosing books (mostly at random) and scanning them to see if we wanted to take them home. When we left we were carrying out as many as we had brought back.
And on the way home we usually stopped by the deli for a treat for ourselves. Usually an ice cold Coke.
When I retired one of the first things I did was renew my library card. Thanks for a lovely post.
What a lovely memory, Mary. I had that same sense of anticipation, and took my time browsing, always smiling over the fact that there were SO many wonderful choices. And how fun to have the shared experience with your friend. I love the treat at the of each visit!
What a lovely history of the library, Andrea! I particularly like your historical tidbits, like that book curse. I’ve visited many, many libraries in my day. In fact, I’m stopping at my local county library later today to drop off a book and do a quick browse. Libraries and librarians are favorite things and favorite people.
Thanks, Mary Jo. No surprise that we are both library lovers! I love the book curse (there should be one for nasty online reviews, LOL!)
Libraries are one of the cornerstone of creativity and librarian are heroes!
A delightful post.
I, too, love libraries and books. Thus, I am so pleased that the prophecy that they would disappear when e-books emerged did not come about. It seems my local county library system is adding books, (not e-books) at a great rate! I love holding a “real book” in my hands.
I knew of the connection between Thomas Jefferson and the Library of Congress. What a wonderful gift he gave us, and even though he was paid for it, I imagine it was not an easy thing to give away his books. That got me wondering how much that was in today’s money. Apparently that comes to about $475,513! Valuable books, indeed.
Thanks, Alison. In my town, the libraries are flourishing, which I love. Like you, I prefer book I can hold and turn the pages. I love that feel of paper and ink.
The Jefferson books are showcased in their own display at the Library of Congress. The signal it sent to the country when Washington was burned—that books are one of the precious things we replace first—is an important message.
Oh, how I love my library! It’s in a beautiful Queen Anne building, which has been expanded several times in the half-century we’ve lived here, but retains its lovely woodwork and stained glass.
It also has librarians who are willing to borrow books from libraries all over the country and to help me with weird research questions, like the economics of the timber trade for shipbuilding in England in 1802. One of them told me, “It’s more interesting than being asked to do a high school student’s homework!”
Your library sounds amazing, Lil—oth physically and in the wonderful staff. Librarians are such wizards. I have a good friend who is the head archivist at the Yale library and what he can find for is truly magical! I am always so grateful for his help and expertise.
Wonderful post, Andrea! My husband has had terrible luck in getting books returned from “friends” who’ve borrowed them. I may have to have bookplates printed for him with that Spanish curse!
One of the great joys of travel for me has been to visit libraries wherever we go. And even though my local library can source books from all over, Ive never given up my Boston Public Library membership. It’s a beautiful building, with John Singer Sargent murals and a main reading room with an arched ceiling. A nephew of ours was married in that reading room, surrounded by wooden tables and green-shaded reading lamps – the best venue ever!
It sounds beautiful, and makes me want to visit, if I ever get to Boston!
Ha-ha on the “cursed” bookplates! It’s a good idea. It really bothers me when people don’t return books that they have ‘borrowed.” Don’t they understand that books are dear friends!
The Boston Public Library, with h its murals, sounds wonderful. I must make sure to vist\it it next time I’m in Boston. And a libray venue for a wedding is a lovely idea!
ThaNks for thre love letter to Libraries Andrea. Our local library has been a source of joy, information, coziness, a d comfort since i was a child. It was founded in 1926 by the citizens a d the money reaised by private contibutions and a fjnd raiser by a local famous actor who gave funds rasied by a theatrical production. The building looks like a mini White House a d it’s two reading rooms have beautiful fireplaces with murals depicting Historical Scenes of our community and has gone through several expansions funded mainly by the community without losing the charm and coziness of the original building. It is beloved by the community. The staff are helpful, friendly a d will go the extra mile to find what you need. As a teenage a d college student, i worked there summers and vacations and the Director encouraged me to get a Library Degree a d even wrote a recome datikn for my application. Being a Librarian was the best thing that ever happened to me and i enjoyed it (except on the rare days when we had to deal with difficult people). When i have traveled i always try to visit the local library a d some have been quite remarkable, the Bodelian at Oxford, the one in Dublin that houses the Book of Kells, the ritish Library, the Library of Congress, the 42nd St Library in New York City, The BostonPublic Library and on a d on and on! Libraries are the gateway to so much in our society and offer a leg up to so many people who wish to improve their lives, thier minds a d their understanding as well as to just enjoy a good book. All hail the Library!
The cornerstone lf democracy, liberty and freedom! Remember, the first thing a dictator does, is burn books and close libraries to prevent the free flow of information and knowledge!
Thank you for such a lovely “love letter” to liraies of your own, Jane! And thank you so much for your work as a librarian! I hope you know how important you have been for so many people. In my book, librarians are real heroes!
Libraries are the repositories of the best treasure in the world……
There is no Frigate like a Book
BY EMILY DICKINSON
There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry –
This Traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of Toll –
How frugal is the Chariot
That bears the Human Soul –
SO true! Thanks for sharing.
One kf my fondest memories were the summer days that a frjend a d i woukd take a book out kf the library a d climb the cherry tree in front of the library and read our books.
Even now, i sit on a bench under the tree there a d read on nice days in spring and summer. It is also a serendipitous meeting place for so many people who met there a d chat a d talk books and exchange reading suggestions a d catch up. I don’t knkw what we woukd do without our library!
I feel such a sense of calm and wonder when I enter a library. The vibe is something very special.
Naturally I’m a big fan of libraries, and I’ve become a member in every town I’ve lived in-and also sometimes the towns I’ve worked in, because the library is a great place to spent lunch hour.
I love the ancient curse!
Libraries are such a welcoming place wherever you go. You just know that you are in a good place!
Thank you, Andrea, for such a wonderful post. I love libraries. I go there more as an adult than I did as a child, which I feel was a great loss of connection to a positive place, a safe place.
I only have a negative memory as an older teenager trying to find information in the library. I went up to the librarian who was dealing with a colleague ranting about something personal.
I neglected to say, excuse me, and the ranting was projected on to me that I was rude, so I left. I didn’t read the room or the person. I was not savvy. I like a Carl Sagan quote about objectivity: “It pays to have an open mind, but not so open your brains falls out.”
I had to wait until I was in my early teens to be introduced to a public library, but my parents always made certain that there were books in our house. I grew up with three sets of encyclopedias and was a member of three “mail-order” book clubs! When I got to junior high school, my research needs finally made the seven mile drive to the public library a necessity.
Going forward I expanded my use to the “big city” library of Reading, Pennsylvania, and from there to college and the realization my senior year that I wanted to go to graduate school for library science.
Five years ago, I retired from 47 years as a public librarian (at the same library no less). Today, I’m still visiting the library at least once a week, even though I have a Kindle full of titles and literally hundreds of physical books in my home and storage…many still waiting to be read
It must be something in my blood – this obsession with libraries. Truly they ae one of the last bastions of sanity in this America today, and I pray we, as a country, will never forget their importance and how we need them.