The Meaning of the Library: A Cultural History

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From Greek and Roman times to the digital era, the library has remained central to knowledge, scholarship, and the imagination. The Meaning of the Library is a generously illustrated examination of this key institution of Western culture. Tracing what the library has meant since its beginning, examining how its significance has shifted, and ponderi

Reviews

"[F]or both scholar and general reader, comprehensive bibliographic notes constitute a multilingual gold mine of historical resources on libraries."--Booklist "As a history and an assessment of an inestimable resource and a force for good in the world,The Meaning of the Libraryis a timely and thought-provoking compilation."--Patricia Craig, Independent "The Meaning of the Libraryis a riveting and deeply satisfying work that is bound to leave the reader not only far more aware of the sociocultural importance of the institution as a reservoir of heritage and learning, but also inspired to think of issues that lie beyond the earthly and temporal realm."--Lois C. Henderson, Bookpleasures.com "A marvelous survey of Western libraries and books from Greek and Roman times to today... It is a lovely book, handsomely designed with endnotes, author bios, bibliography, index, and an eight-page, four-color insert-illustrations of ancient and medieval book cabinets."--Wally Wood, Bookpleasures.com "These pleasant peregrinations exploring the role that libraries ... have played as preservers, proponents, and providers of culture will appeal widely to library scholars and bibliophiles."--Choice "This excellent volume, well produced and with an extensive bibliography, is not standard library history, but it is delightful reading, whether consumed as a whole or used to browse in. It should provide any library historians with new insights into their discipline and can be highly recommended."--Peter Hoare, Library & Information History "Each essay is excellently written and researched; each new perspective illuminates a different fact in great and mind-expanding detail... Bibliophiles, especially, will love [The Meaning of the Library] as it focuses attention on the deeper importance book collections hold."--Gretchen Wagner, San Francisco Book Review "A wonderfully informative, erudite and entertaining collection of essays."--Alberto Manguel, Times Literary Supplement

Author Bio

Alice Crawford is digital humanities research librarian at the University of St Andrews Library in Scotland. Her books include Paradise Pursued: The Novels of Rose Macaulay.