The Library: An Illustrated History Review

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(More customer reviews)As a child growing up in Malaysia, our local library was very poorly stocked (and did not have many books in the English language either). Luckily, my school library was different - thanks to the generosity of patrons, my school library was well-stocked with the classics of English literature, and I devoured them one by one, and I have loved books and libraries ever since. In "The Library: An Illustrated History", readers get a glimpse of various libraries over the ages and in different countries. The book is well-organized into the following chapters:
The Ancient Libraries
European Libraries of the Middle Ages
Asia and Islam
Europe's High Middle Ages
Renaissance to Reformation
People of the Book
War and a Golden Age
The Library in Colonial North America
The Library in the Young United States
The Library Movement
Organizing Knowledge
Libraries, Librarians, and Media Centers
The book is also peppered throughout with photographs of actual libraries, illustrations of some of the ancient libraries, and quotes. The final part of the book is a listing of some of the most prominent libraries in the world, due to their age, reputation, as well as uniqueness. Some of those included are Bibliotheque Nationale de France; the British Library; Austrian National Library; National Library of Russia; Toronto Public Library, Canada; Royal Library of the Netherlands; New York Public Library; National Library of China, Beijing; National Library of Iran; Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt, and many more. There is also a list of sources at the end of the book, and also recommended titles for further reading.
I would recommend this book to book lovers and those who have always had an abiding love of libraries, and I end with this quote by Norman Cousins:
"The library is not a shrine for the worship of books. It is not a temple where literary incense must be burned or where one's devotion to the bound book is expressed in ritual. A library, to modify the famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas - a place where history comes to life"
Also recommended: The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World.

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Through the ages, humanity has created, destroyed, rescued, neglected,discovered, stolen, and cherished libraries-and no other institution soperfectly mirrors the human condition in any period of history.
The Library tells the story of libraries and of the changing form and function of the book from era to era, whether clay tablets, parchment sheets, papyrus scrolls, glossy paper, recording tape or silicone chips. At the heart of the story of libraries and books is the story of the reader, who also has changed from era to era. Profusely illustrated, with fascinating is a comprehensive look at libraries that will interest book lovers and librarians. 100 illustrations, 80 in color

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