History of Libraries

Greece and Rome

500

They were the only libraries during the classical that flourished. But when the Middle Ages came around literature fell off and as a result libraries and books disappeared. One institution survived and rewrote books and that was the Catholic Church.

First Union Catalogs

Apr 11, 1200

In 1200, the first union catalog was being put together. There catalogs held a listing of a monasteries books and literature. They also organized manuscript production and assist with interlibrary loan. The loans turned into a loaning system so that monasteries could borrow books to copy and study them. It was also a public system people would give collateral in exchange to borrow the book. They were strict if you didn't bring the books back sometimes it led to execution. There were librarians.

University Libraries

Feb 9, 1300

Higher education was formed into universities. In these universities book collections began to grow. As early as 1300, the Sorbonne had amassed an extensive collection
of library books on religion, science, medicine, and law donated by theologians and their supporters. These libraries were small and the readers were expected to stand and study the text. Librarians were the lowest rank faculty member. If a book was lost or stolen they would have to replace it with their own money.

Invention of Printing

Feb 9, 1500

With the invention of printing books could be mass produced and widely spread. But the wealthy were the ones that benefitted from this invention. Soon the idea that everyone should be able to have access to these books came up and German rulers started public schools to teach reading and writing. Public access to these books was not seen until the 1800's.

Colonization

Dec 29, 1640

Massachusetts Bay Colony passed legislation requiring that all male children be taught to read and be prepared for employment. 60% of males in the New World were able to sign their names in 1690. In England only 30% of males could sign their own names. As wealthy individuals came to the New World like William Bradford, who was an educated man, they built libraries instead of institutions.

Public Libraries

May 14, 1700

Throughout the 1700s, wealthy statesmen, merchants, and professionals, such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Rush, continued to collect books. Occasionally these book collectors donated their books to their home towns to provide reading for the less fortunate. For example, in 1751 Quaker merchant James Logan used his 4,000-
volume collection to start a public library in Philadelphia.

Library Companies

Apr 6, 1800

In the 1800's the few libraries that were around were not exactly public libraries yet. They were library companies because they sold stocks so that shareholders jointly owned the building and the book collection. They became very popular.

First Public Libraries

Jul 23, 1854

In 1854, in the city of Boston, after debate, opened up the first modern public library. The reasoning for the public library was so that everyone could continue their education, like blacks and women. Boston was a trend setter and in 1875 180 public libraries had been established. In the 1920's almost 6,000 had been established.

Dewey Melvil

Feb 9, 1885

In 1885, Dewey Melvil was hired as head librarian at Columbia University to reorganize the library’s holdings according to his new classification system. Dewey used his position to open the first school of library economy. A practical man, his curriculum focused on process, not literature or theory with classes in acquisitions, cataloging, administration and library services. He encouraged women to apply to the clerical based program which he later moved to New York
State Library at Albany.

Library at Alexandria

Jan 1, 2030

In 30 BC the library at Alexandria was built. It was the first known library of it's time to gather a serious collection of books beyond it's countries boarder. the library was for scholars. When the Roman Empire fell the library was invaded by armies or by just disintegrating by itself.