Libraries: Camels to Computers - Bev Russell, Library Director

(This column appeared in the December 23, 2007, Star-Herald)

 

A new children’s book, "The Library Book: The Story of Libraries from Camels to Computers" by Mareen Sawa, caught my attention the other day. Now honestly, I realize, that I am probably more interested in this topic than most of you, but I want to share some of it with you.

DID YOU KNOW THAT—

The greatest library of the ancient world, the Library of Alexandria, was built in tribute to Alexander the Great. His tutor was the philosopher Aristotle (how’s that for a teacher), and reading was one of Alexander’s obsessions. The "books" in the Alexandria library were actually papyrus scrolls. The library eventually housed more than 400,000 scrolls—every scroll known to exist at the time.

Older libraries than the one at Alexandria did exist. The Sumerians are credited with the first library. They also invented cuneiform writing and it on inscribed wet clay tablets. The tablets were then baked or left in the sun to dry. Around 2700 BC they began to store the tablets for future use. Some of these are still in existence.

In Babylon, present day Iraq, King Hammurabi founded the Borsippa Library in 1700 BC The Babylonians used clay and stone tablets. The Code of Hammurabi, a collection of laws, was its most famous holding.

As early as 550 BC China had libraries; however, self-appointed Emperor Shi Huangdi (he started the Great Wall) reportedly destroyed all the history, philosophy and literature in existence before he came to power. Apparently he wanted all history to begin with the first year of his reign. Throughout the ages, autocrats and dictators have known that controlling information is a key to power.

In Rome private libraries were a status symbol. As with the libraries of Greece and Egypt, wars and natural disasters destroyed the ancient Roman libraries.

The Dark Ages followed the Roman Empire in Europe. Literacy and learning practically died out except for the efforts of monasteries. In monasteries throughout Europe and other parts of the world, monks preserved knowledge. Working for long hours in dark, dank scriptoriums, scribes transcribed the great works of the ancient world. From this era comes the earliest books in the form that we know them.

While the Dark Ages covered Europe, the Islamic world, the Byzantine Empire and China flourished. Great art, magnificent buildings and important works of literature were produced. In fact, Muslims were much more likely than Christians to be able to read and write. Everywhere that they introduced Islam, they established libraries. The House of Wisdom in Baghdad was the greatest of the Islamic libraries.

The institution of the bookmobile (actually book-camel) dates back to 10^th Century Persia (Iran). Grand Vizier Abdul Kassem Ismael took his books with him wherever he went. He trained more than 500 camels to carry his 100,000 books. This was the world’s first mobile library. According to legend, he taught his camels to walk in order so that he could access his books alphabetically. (Take that Melvil Dewey!)

If you think I’m done with this topic, wait ‘til next week. In the meantime, all of us at the library wish you a Merry Christmas!

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