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Title: Libraries in the Ancient World by Lionel Casson ISBN: 0-300-09721-2 Publisher: Yale Nota Bene Pub. Date: 01 September, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (10 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Concise Study of Ancient Libraries, Books & Literacy
Comment: In "Libraries in the Ancient World", author Lionel Casson traces the history of libraries from the 3rd millennium B.C. through the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. The libraries discussed are those in the Mediterranean and Near East regions, from which our modern Western library systems ultimately derived. This book includes chapters on the oldest known libraries in the ancient Near East, the Greek libraries in which we begin to see the roots of our own, the extraordinary Library of Alexandria in Egypt, the growth of libraries beginning in the third century B.C., the first truly public libraries in Rome and its empire, the evolution from rolls to codices as the preferred literary medium, and the rise of monasteries as literary repositories in late antiquity. As Casson describes these ancient libraries, he also discusses literacy, publishing, bookmaking, and bibliomania in the ancient world, thereby providing a glimpse into the social history of these cultures from the unusual perspective of their literary values. Through ancient literature, itself, and through archeological finds, Casson is able to piece together a reasonably detailed picture of what early libraries looked like, how they functioned, and whom they served. I recommend "Libraries in the Ancient World" to anyone interested in ancient history or the history of books or literacy. This is a small, easily absorbed volume packed with fascinating facts and insights into the role and reverence of books in the ancient world.
Rating: 5
Summary: Library Fines Were Not 10 Cents Per Day
Comment: In less than 150 pages, Lionel Casson has written a history of libraries of the ancient world that is captivating to read. Most of the chapters are about the libraries of the Classical World from the library of Aristotle to the library of Alexandria to the libraries of Rome to the libraries of the far parts of the Empire. The reader will find out how libraries gained books, who read them, and how they were maintained. There are additional chapters on the rise of libraries in the ancient Near East, the development of the codex, and libraries after the fall of Rome.
What makes this book captivating is that each chapter is filled with anecdotes. For example, a tablet from Uruk warns that anyone who fears Anu and Antu will return the tablet to the owner the same day. In ancient times library fines were not just 10 cents per day.
Rating: 5
Summary: In search of the roots of modern libraries.
Comment: In this amazingly complete 150-page volume, renowned author Lionel Casson, takes us on a wonderful journey of discovery of the role of libraries in the ancient world, from their origins in the Near East in 3000 BC through their evolution until the fall of Roman Byzantium in 1453 AD.
Written in a lively prose, this well-researched, fact-filled book explains when, where, why, and how the forerunners of today's modern libraries were created and developed, treating in detail topics such as:
*How did they acquire their materials?
*How were they physically organized?
*Which, if any, system of cataloguing they used?
*Who had access to their holdings?
*How they solved problems like theft and damage of their collections?
*What was their connection with the rise and fall of education?
The author also presents a concise account of the history of books from clay tablet to papyrus roll to parchment codex to our modern day volumes. He shares fascinating insights into the development of writing and the evolution of writing technology, including:
*What was the purpose of writing?
*Which topics were more commonly written about?
*Which materials were used and why?
*Who did the writing?
The best part of this book is the entertaining and charming way in which the author illustrates his exposition. By employing captivating anecdotes from sources contemporary to the facts, literary sources that have survived to this day, and archaeological finds combined with modern technology that make possible the reconstruction of ancient library buildings, he makes what would otherwise be a very boring topic feel like a true adventure.
As a bonus, the book also explains where many modern words related to libraries and books come from, and includes many drawings and pictures, which perfectly illustrate the points being made, and a thorough bibliography that is an excellent starting point for further exploration.
If you are at all interested in the history of writing, books, and libraries this pleasurable and compact volume is definitely a must-read.
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Title: Library: An Unquiet History by Matthew Battles ISBN: 0393020290 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: June, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The Vanished Library (Hellenistic Culture and Society ; 7) by Luciano Canfora, Martin Ryle ISBN: 0520072553 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: 01 September, 1990 List Price(USD): $16.05 |
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Title: The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World by Guillaume de Laubier, Jacques Bosser, James H. Billington, Laurel Hirsch (translator) ISBN: 0810946343 Publisher: Harry N Abrams Pub. Date: 01 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $50.00 |
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Title: The Memory of Mankind: The Story of Libraries Since the Dawn of History by Don Heinrich Tolzmann, Alfred Hessel, Reuben Peiss ISBN: 1584560495 Publisher: Oak Knoll Press Pub. Date: 01 April, 2001 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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Title: The Library of Alexandria: Centre of Learning in the Ancient World by Roy MacLeod ISBN: 1860648215 Publisher: I.B.Tauris Pub. Date: 06 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $22.50 |
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