HIST 623C History of Libraries
This course examines the birth, development and transformation of libraries from antiquity until the present day. Beginning with the role and function of libraries in ancient world Greece, Rome, and Alexandria the course also studies in detail the monastic, cathedral and university libraries of the Middle Ages. Aiming at a global perspective, the course looks also at the libraries of the Islamic world and the far east, particularly China, Japan and India, adding a comparative dimension to the discussion. The rise of humanistic libraries such as the Bibliotheca Vaticana Apostolica, the Bodleian Library, and Bibliothique Nationale will receive special attention. Other topics include subscription libraries, originally a British institution which found great success in the United States; the birth of national libraries with a focus on the Library of Congress; the formation of public libraries and library architecture. The course will treat the various types and functions of present-day libraries (from public lending and academic libraries to community and circulating libraries), their function, organization, services and patrons. The course concludes with the shift to digital libraries and reflections on the future of libraries.