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Very Informative Book

Book Review

The Library: a Catalogue of Wonders

By Stuart Kell

2017 Counterpoint

This book is a history of libraries, past, present, and future. The author, an academic researcher and book historian, visited hundreds of libraries in order to bring the reader on “a romp through the centuries” for tales of innovation, obsession, and criminality. Kell reveals how libraries all have their own character and personality, describing his discovery of the weird and strange places people have stashed their personal book collections. He describes oral libraries, which are communities where songs, stories, and even memorized texts are passed on from one generation to the next.

Did you know that in the Middle Ages, books were routinely chained in place to prevent their theft? That there is an actual insect called a bookworm that has been responsible for the ruin of many a volume? That there is an intimate relationship between furniture design, book formats, and library layouts that started in Roman times? That some book collectors carry tape measures when book shopping to be sure to get volumes that precisely fit the space on their shelves?

The Library describes the personal libraries of many notable persons throughout history and is full of anecdotes of the creation and accidental (and otherwise) destruction of manuscripts. To many, libraries signify civilization itself, and the reason for this is brought forth in this engaging and fascinating history of their development through the ages.

I discovered this volume quite by chance while straightening shelves in the library, and while I do not know of anyone else who has read it, I can recommend it to anyone who has an interest in libraries and books.

SB



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