Libraries in the Ancient World (Yale Nota Bene S.)

This delightful book tells the story of ancient libraries from their very beginnings, when "books" were clay tablets and writing was a new phenomenon. Renowned classicist Lionel Casson takes us on a lively tour, from the royal libraries of the most ancient Near East, through the private and public libraries of Greece and Rome, down to the first Christian monastic libraries. To the founders of the first public libraries of the Greek world goes the credit for creating the prototype of today's library buildings and the science of organizing books in them.Casson recounts the development of ancient library buildings, systems, holdings, and patrons, addressing questions on a wide variety of topics, such as: ?� What was the connection between the rise in education and literacy and the growth of libraries? ?� Who contributed to the early development of public libraries, especially the great library at Alexandria? ?� What did ancient libraries include in their holdings? ?� How did ancient libraries acquire books? ?� What was the nature of publishing in the Greek and Roman world? ?� How did different types of users (royalty, scholars, religious figures) and different kinds of "books" (tablets, scrolls, codices) affect library arrangements? ?� How did Christianity transform the nature of library holdings?Just as a library yields unexpected treasures to a meandering browser, this entertaining book offers to its perusers the surprising history of the rise and development of ancient libraries-a fascinating story never told before.… (more)

Media reviews

Library Review

“Libraries in the Ancient World” offers an engaging and informative brief consideration of the development of the library and writing in the ancient world. Casson has written a short, light introduction to the culture and social history of the ancient world covering those periods when education

led to a desire for a greater understanding of the world, and a desire to arrange the daily workings of the current world and its knowledge in such a way that the development of libraries as a store of knowledge appears to have been the only logical development.

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New York Times

[An] engaging book.

New York Times Book Review

[A] charming … narrative history of the birth (and deaths) of libraries in the ancient world.

User reviews

LibraryThing member xenchu

This is a small book on a subject of great interest to me. That is, it's about books and libraries. Since I love both it was impossible to pass this book by. It covers libraries and their contents from the Sumerians to the early christians.

A good many interesting facts are brought out. For

instance, libraries in Rome were stocked with books in two languages. Except perhaps for the libraries in the public baths (I wonder if people with wet hands were allowed in the library?) The first libraries were deposits of accounting information for the most part.

The book has a number of pictures and diagrams. I thought the diagrams could have used a key to the various features shown but i suppose this is a minor quibble. The diagrams are fairly self-explanatory. There is a scholarly index of notes at the end of the book. This may, I think, be skipped by most readers unless you are writing a thesis.

As I stated first, this is a small book and easily read. I think it is worth the short time expended. If you have an interest in the history of books and libraries then this is one to read.

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LibraryThing member lilithcat

Me, resist a book with a title like this? Especially when it's on sale? Ha.

Casson's account of where, when, how and why libraries began is eminently readable, as well as informative. It's amazing how much we can determine from sparse literary references coupled with the archaeological record. We

know that cuneiform tablets had colophons and how those tablets were stored. We learn that some form of cataloguing was used as early as 2000 B.C.E. And you're not the only one who reads in the bath: the public baths of Rome were also public libraries.

Illustrated with photographs and diagrams.

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LibraryThing member jaygheiser

Excellet little book. Read it overnight. Very enjoyable and informative.

LibraryThing member cbl_tn

Classics scholar Lionel Casson uses references in classical literature, archaeological remains, and ancient inscriptions to construct a history of the world's earliest libraries. Casson describes libraries in ancient Near Eastern kingdoms, in the Greek world, and in the Roman world. The earliest

libraries seem to have been utilitarian, with collections consisting mainly of administrative records, along with a few religious texts.

For the most part, the text is interesting and readable. While the content is useful to subject specialists, it's written at a level that non-specialists can understand and appreciate. The black and white illustrations nicely complement the text. However, I struggled through the descriptions of the dimensions of the buildings based on the archaeological remains. I'm spatially challenged anyway, and it didn't help that the measurements were given in meters rather than yards. Comparisons to familiar buildings of approximately the same size would have been a help to me.

This seems to be the definitive work on ancient libraries, and it should be the starting point for readers with an interest in this topic.

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LibraryThing member janerawoof

Fascinating popular history of libraries from their beginnings in the ancient Near East to the Byzantine period with monastic and secular libraries. A fun quick read: from cuneiform tablets through scrolls to codices.

LibraryThing member EdGoldberg

An interesting, readable history of ancient libraries with references to archeological discoveries.

LibraryThing member flemmily

Short and informative! Not riveting, but certainly not the desert-dry read that some library books can be. This book would be a great overview for those new to being interested in early libraries and the history of reading, writing and books.

LibraryThing member drmaf

I used this book heavily in writing my PhD thesis and its has the virtue of being the most recent comprehensive text on ancient libraries available. As an academic text it leaves a lot to be desired. Its casual style and lack of effective footnotes make it a frustrating read for anyone who's hoping

to use it in their studies. However, as a book for the non-academic reader, its an excellent introduction to the subject of libraries in the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome. Those who know little beyond the Library of Alexandria will be amazed by the sophistication of ancient libraries. Anyone who loves books and libraries, and anyone who's passionate about ancient history will find this enthralling

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LibraryThing member phoenixcomet

A delightful little book on the development of libraries throughout the ages. Intelligent conjecture in many instances based on the remains of ruins (often Roman) and information noted in writings that still exist. Worth a read if you are a librarian or love history.

LibraryThing member la2bkk

A concise (150 pages) overview of the history of libraries from the earliest times through Greek, Hellenistic and Roman eras. This is a straightforward analysis which will appeal more to common readers then those with a particular expertise.

I found this book highly readable, containing enough

information to inform as to the subject material without going into unnecessary to detaul. Highly recommended for those with an interest in this subject.

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