Status
Available
Publication
Basic Books (2021), 528 pages
Description
History. Language Arts. Nonfiction. HTML: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… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member balbs
A comprehensive history of the library which shows that its history has not been at all straightforward and will not be in the future.
A pity that Librarything was not mentioned!
A pity that Librarything was not mentioned!
LibraryThing member gothamajp
An ambitious and meticulously researched attempt to tell the story of libraries from fabled beginnings in Alexandria to todays digital age.
Unfortunately that extensive research tends to get in the way of the narrative making the reading experience a bit of a slog at times.
Most of the book is
However one thing it did reinforce (unfortunately) is that the banning of books and the political and religious attempts to control what people read has pretty much been around since the invention of the printing press when the so-called elite began to lose control of the access to reading material.
On the positive side it also reinforced that the good old book is a great survivor no matter what new technologies come along, and how many times it’s decline is forecasted. People still want to read.
Unfortunately that extensive research tends to get in the way of the narrative making the reading experience a bit of a slog at times.
Most of the book is
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focused on the early days of ecclesiastical and individual libraries which became a little repetitive. For me it only really hit its stride once it moved into the story of public libraries and their cultural impact.However one thing it did reinforce (unfortunately) is that the banning of books and the political and religious attempts to control what people read has pretty much been around since the invention of the printing press when the so-called elite began to lose control of the access to reading material.
On the positive side it also reinforced that the good old book is a great survivor no matter what new technologies come along, and how many times it’s decline is forecasted. People still want to read.
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LibraryThing member AdonisGuilfoyle
An encyclopedic, engaging but occasionally enervating history of libraries, from Alexandria to Alexa and the future of the printed word. I admit to struggling with the early accounts of proto libraries - monks creating and collecting religious scripts on parchment (incunabula, a great word!), the
'Large works, those that not everyone can buy, should be bought [for university libraries]; the little books anyone can collect as they wish' - Zacharias von Uffenbach
I worked in a large city library for ten years, in the reference department, and was sad to witness the downscaling and closure of the original purpose-built 1960s six storey building in favour of 'future proofing' the service with popular titles and more computers. Reading about the creation, expansion, culmination, decline and repeated resurrection of libraries gives me hope, however!
I do have to disagree with the authors and say that I don't believe that e-readers are either a threat to books or on the way out, but simply a more affordable and accessible version of the printed word. I have a 'library' of nearly seven hundred books on my Kindle (or on Amazon, if I need to download a copy again), but I read this title in hardback and still borrow books from the library too. People need to stop sneering at e-books - in the same way that early printed books were rejected by antiquarians in favour of manuscripts, and fiction was hidden in the stacks and 'improving' titles pushed on readers, snobbishly refusing to acknowledge the way in which digital books save money and space for modern readers will not stop the future from happening.
And I have to finish with the best quote in the book:
'Good God, what did I find there? Nothing but dust, cobwebs, bookworms, moths, in short filth and destitution. I did find some books, but I should not willingly have paid threepence for them' - John Leland
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printing press and private collections - but enjoyed the 'modern history' from the subscription/circulating libraries of the eighteenth century to the horrendous destruction of books during World War Two. 'Large works, those that not everyone can buy, should be bought [for university libraries]; the little books anyone can collect as they wish' - Zacharias von Uffenbach
I worked in a large city library for ten years, in the reference department, and was sad to witness the downscaling and closure of the original purpose-built 1960s six storey building in favour of 'future proofing' the service with popular titles and more computers. Reading about the creation, expansion, culmination, decline and repeated resurrection of libraries gives me hope, however!
I do have to disagree with the authors and say that I don't believe that e-readers are either a threat to books or on the way out, but simply a more affordable and accessible version of the printed word. I have a 'library' of nearly seven hundred books on my Kindle (or on Amazon, if I need to download a copy again), but I read this title in hardback and still borrow books from the library too. People need to stop sneering at e-books - in the same way that early printed books were rejected by antiquarians in favour of manuscripts, and fiction was hidden in the stacks and 'improving' titles pushed on readers, snobbishly refusing to acknowledge the way in which digital books save money and space for modern readers will not stop the future from happening.
And I have to finish with the best quote in the book:
'Good God, what did I find there? Nothing but dust, cobwebs, bookworms, moths, in short filth and destitution. I did find some books, but I should not willingly have paid threepence for them' - John Leland
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LibraryThing member 1Randal
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.
LibraryThing member TJ_Petrowski
How did public libraries start? What happened to the Library of Alexandria? How did Gutenberg's press influence libraries and book-collecting? What role did libraries and librarians play in significant conflicts such as WWII? When and why did fiction become so widespread? How did Martin Luther and
Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen examine these and many other questions in “The Library: A Fragile History.” Let me be clear: this is not a book about bibliophiles, the wonder of the written word, and the beauty of reading. On the contrary, this is a serious scholarly work of history involving war, genocide, racism, colonialism and imperialism, sexism, slavery, war crimes, political economy, plunder, and more. Perhaps aware of how easy it is to forget about the role played by books, libraries, and librarians during significant socio-economic, political, and religious upheavals, Pettegree and der Weduwen remind readers that whatever the time and whatever the conflict, books, libraries, and librarians were involved.
Books were an invaluable weapon in Martin Luther’s arsenal against the omnipotent power of the Catholic Church. By writing small, quickly produced pamphlets in the vernacular language instead of Latin, Luther was able to rapidly spread his message across Germany, forever changing the German language and the politicization of books.
During the Thirty Years’ war, Swedish armies systematically plunder tens of thousands of manuscripts and books from continental libraries, including German, Polish, and Czech, creating one of Europe’s most extensive and finest libraries in Uppsala. Among the most famous manuscripts looted by Swedish armies is the 6th-century Codex Argenteus. The Codex was a part of the library of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II at his imperial seat in Prague until Swedish armies conquered Prague in 1648.
During WWII, virtually all Polish books and libraries were destroyed or looted, and 20 million books in France, 60 million books in Britain, and 100 million books in Russia were destroyed. Nazi libraries and librarians confiscated the personal libraries of Jews and employed forced labour to sort and catalogue the collections.
Of particular interest to me in this book was the centuries-long debate between fiction vs. nonfiction. I have never understood the appeal of fiction. The real world is sufficiently fascinating enough without the need for fantasy. Moreover, if I am going to invest time in reading a book, I might as well be improving myself and expanding on my knowledge while I am reading it. My preference for nonfiction is the main reason I have built my own personal library of 1,400+ nonfiction books and don’t utilize public libraries. Most public libraries are overflowing with what Sir Thomas Bodley denounced as “idle books” and “riff raffes” in the 16th- century — fantasy, crime novels, etc. The kind and quality of nonfiction books I enjoy are usually found not on library shelves but outside the library, in the dumpster, to make space for brain-rotting “Penny Dreadfuls.” This has left me no other option than to buy all the books I read.
Conclusion: this was a fascinating book about the history of libraries and book-collecting, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in either subject.
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the Reformation forever change the nature of books? Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen examine these and many other questions in “The Library: A Fragile History.” Let me be clear: this is not a book about bibliophiles, the wonder of the written word, and the beauty of reading. On the contrary, this is a serious scholarly work of history involving war, genocide, racism, colonialism and imperialism, sexism, slavery, war crimes, political economy, plunder, and more. Perhaps aware of how easy it is to forget about the role played by books, libraries, and librarians during significant socio-economic, political, and religious upheavals, Pettegree and der Weduwen remind readers that whatever the time and whatever the conflict, books, libraries, and librarians were involved.
Books were an invaluable weapon in Martin Luther’s arsenal against the omnipotent power of the Catholic Church. By writing small, quickly produced pamphlets in the vernacular language instead of Latin, Luther was able to rapidly spread his message across Germany, forever changing the German language and the politicization of books.
During the Thirty Years’ war, Swedish armies systematically plunder tens of thousands of manuscripts and books from continental libraries, including German, Polish, and Czech, creating one of Europe’s most extensive and finest libraries in Uppsala. Among the most famous manuscripts looted by Swedish armies is the 6th-century Codex Argenteus. The Codex was a part of the library of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II at his imperial seat in Prague until Swedish armies conquered Prague in 1648.
During WWII, virtually all Polish books and libraries were destroyed or looted, and 20 million books in France, 60 million books in Britain, and 100 million books in Russia were destroyed. Nazi libraries and librarians confiscated the personal libraries of Jews and employed forced labour to sort and catalogue the collections.
Of particular interest to me in this book was the centuries-long debate between fiction vs. nonfiction. I have never understood the appeal of fiction. The real world is sufficiently fascinating enough without the need for fantasy. Moreover, if I am going to invest time in reading a book, I might as well be improving myself and expanding on my knowledge while I am reading it. My preference for nonfiction is the main reason I have built my own personal library of 1,400+ nonfiction books and don’t utilize public libraries. Most public libraries are overflowing with what Sir Thomas Bodley denounced as “idle books” and “riff raffes” in the 16th- century — fantasy, crime novels, etc. The kind and quality of nonfiction books I enjoy are usually found not on library shelves but outside the library, in the dumpster, to make space for brain-rotting “Penny Dreadfuls.” This has left me no other option than to buy all the books I read.
Conclusion: this was a fascinating book about the history of libraries and book-collecting, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in either subject.
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LibraryThing member francesanngray
Thorough and well-researched. Just the right amount of detail. Great to learn more about the social and political context of library development.
LibraryThing member MusicforMovies
An excellent history of the Library from ancient history to present day; although other reviewers have complained of it being a "dry" read, I did not find that to be the case. The first half of the book focuses on individual collectors and the various 'methods' upon which books were acquired; the
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latter half of the book deals with the Library as it took on the form of the current institution we know today. At 414 pages it is a rather hefty read, but still very enjoyable especially if you are something of a bibliophile. Show Less
LibraryThing member dono421846
I rarely give 5-star ratings, but this marvelous book absolutely deserves it. The authors spin a captivating narrative on the developmental history of libraries, leading from personal collections, to government holdings, through subscription and circulating libraries, culminating in the appearance
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of the true public library. The story is as gripping as any novel, and full of unusual details. It was an absolute pleasure to read, and my copy is well marked up to keep track of the best bits that I know I'll need to draw upon later. Brilliant! Show Less
LibraryThing member tuckerresearch
An interesting and scholarly take on the history of libraries and the books (and other stuff) that go in them. Lots of good images (black-and-white in the text, color plates), though a profusely illustrated edition could be made. An interesting synthesis of popular histories of books, like, say,
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Basbanes's works, niche histories of shelving of books, like, say, Petroski's, and so on and so forth. I retrod lots of things I already knew, but learned much more. A bit of a Western-centric focus, but solid, well-referenced, and intriguing, if you are into bibliophilia in all its facets. Show Less
Awards
HWA Crown Awards (Longlist — Non-Fiction — 2022)
Language
Original language
English
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