'' by Charlotte Bosanquet
Ivan Zabelin The earliest libraries belonged to temples or administration bodies, resembled modern
archives, and were usually restricted to nobility, aristocracy, scholars, or theologians. Examples of the earliest known private libraries include one found in
Ugarit (dated to around 1200 BC) and the
Library of Ashurbanipal in
Nineveh (near modern
Mosul,
Iraq), dating back to the 7th century BC.
Mesopotamia Mesopotamia was home to a great number of private libraries, many with extensive collections of over 400 tablets. The nucleus of these private libraries were primarily texts which had been transcribed by the proprietors themselves from the time they acquired their education in the art of the scribe. However, many personal libraries survived over time, and are perhaps more numerous than traditionally assumed. Several private
tombs have exposed copious texts whose content is scholarly in nature. In addition, extensive clusters of
papyrus scrolls have been unearthed in association with domiciliary arrangements, confirming that some type of library endured there. Finally, a private library in a New Kingdom tomb at the site of Deir el Medina housed books on medicine as well as on love poetry and wisdom literature. Under the influence of petty-farmer consciousness, the patriarchal system, lack of books, and other factors, "hiding book" thinking was dominant then. Not all private libraries in ancient China were unavailable to the public. Some owners made their collection open to the public. Mostly to young men who were studying for civil service examinations, these became known as "academy" libraries.
Ancient Rome The earliest libraries to appear in Rome were of the private type and were most often procured as spoils of war. For example, when the Roman general
Aemilius defeated the
Macedonian king
Perseus in 168 BC, the only plunder he wished to possess was the king's private library. Likewise, in 86 BC, the Roman general
Sulla appropriated the library of the infamous Greek bibliophile and kleptobibliophile
Apellicon of Teos. The design of these libraries was rather a novelty, and became the archetype of later institutions, in particular libraries of imperial estates. Upon the death of Sammonicus in 212 AD, the library of some 62,000 manuscripts was entrusted to Gordion. The creation and expansion of universities prompted the gifting of private libraries to university libraries. One notable donation was by
Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester to
Oxford University in the early 15th century.
Colonial North America Private libraries were a characteristic of the first colonists to North America, rather than a peculiarity. For example, 27 libraries were known to have existed in
Plymouth Colony alone between 1634 and 1683. Books and the idea of establishing libraries in the new world had always been a strong conviction for the early settlers.
William Brewster was one of the many passengers on board the
Mayflower on its maiden voyage to America who transported his library, which consisted of nearly 400 volumes. The library consisted of 1,200 volumes and a
catalog of the titles included in his library was created before his death in 1799. Some of his most beloved volumes were those that pertained to agriculture, since he was an avid farmer. One work that he embraced dearly was a play entitled
Cato, a Tragedy written in 1712 by the English playwright
Joseph Addison because he felt a connection between the main character Cato and his constant battle with totalitarianism. It consisted of 40 that he inherited from his father. Since his father had been a surveyor, the library contained a plethora of maps and topographical monographs, though Jefferson added quite a few volumes to the library from his studies. By 1770, Jefferson had acquired about 400 volumes, worth an estimated 200 pounds. However, these were largely destroyed when his home in Shadwell burned in 1770. Jefferson quickly rebuilt his library at his home in Monticello. By August 1773 he had 1,256 books, and by March 1783 he had 2,640. Because Jefferson was fluent in French and Latin, the library contained numerous books in these languages, as well as 15 others. The collection was abundant in books on law, philosophy, and history, but it accommodated volumes on many subject areas such as cooking, gardening, and more exotic avocations like beekeeping. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Jefferson traveled very little. As such, the library became his best travel guide. Even though the library went through multiple stages throughout his lifetime, in 1814 it was known that he had the single greatest private library in the United States. When the
Library of Congress was consumed by fire, Jefferson persuaded the library to purchase his collection of between nine and ten thousand books in order to compensate for the lost collection. According to Logan, there was nothing more important than the acquisition of knowledge. His appetite for enlightenment led to the establishment of a private library of nearly 3000 titles, acknowledged as one of the largest in colonial America. Benjamin Franklin, who was instrumental in establishing the first subscription library in North America, was the owner of a private library of considerable proportions. This clandestine miscellanea is not well known, though a contemporary of Franklin, a certain
Manasseh Cutler, observed this library firsthand. Cutler noted, "It is a very large chamber and high studded. The walls were covered with book shelves filled with books; besides there are four large alcoves, extending two-thirds of the length of the chamber, filled in the same manner. I presume this is the largest and by far the best, private library in America".
Law firms and
hospitals often maintain either a law or medical library for staff use. Additionally,
corporations maintain libraries that specialize in collections pertaining to research specific to the areas of concern to that organization. Scientific establishments within
academia and industry have libraries to support scientists and researchers. These libraries may not be open to the public. ==Library (domestic room)==