Research library

, established in the 7th century BC in present-day Iraq Libraries first appeared in Southwest Asia more than 5,000 years ago as repositories to store written resources for retrieval, often written on materials like bamboo, clay, and later papyrus. The most durable of these materials was clay, and tablets made of clay are the most common artifacts retrieved from ancient library sites. Many great civilizations built libraries which contained knowledge and information that were accumulated over years, sometimes centuries, and from across regions. The oldest known library in the world was excavated in Ebla in northern Syria. Excavation of the site of the ancient city began in 1964 and archeologists have since uncovered more than 20,000 clay tablets that documented the economic and cultural life of the city's residents. Archives dating back to 3000 BC were also discovered in 1975. The library also contained scientific records and observations on topics such as zoology, mineralogy, and information on Ebla's business and tax issues. The king sent his scribes to other libraries in the region to record their contents to create a register of contents. Probably the most renowned library in the ancient world was the Great Library of Alexandria, in Egypt. The library was part of the royal complex that included the research institution known as the Mouseion, and is believed to have been established during the reigns of Ptolemy I Soter (367–283 BC) and his son Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BC). There are report that the library at its height had up to 400,000 scrolls, though there is uncertainty regarding the exact number and how many scrolls were original works, as some of these may have been copies. The works collected covered a wide range of topics including works by Homer, Herodotus, Plato, and Aristotle. The library drew scholars from across the world and led to Alexandria being known as a hub for knowledge and learning. The US Library of Congress is one of the largest and most well-known research libraries in the world. It is the United States Congress' official research library and is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country, having been founded in 1800. It contains more than 170 million items that cover a wide range of subjects from across the world and in 470 different languages. The library has offices abroad through which it is able to acquire and maintain materials that are not easily available through traditional acquisition methods. == Services ==

Research libraries can be either reference libraries, which do not lend their holdings, or lending libraries, which do lend all or some of their holdings. Some extremely large or traditional research libraries are entirely reference in this sense, lending none of their material; most academic research libraries, at least in the U.S., now lend books, but not periodicals or other material. Books available in research libraries can include textbooks, journals and rare manuscripts. As the contents of research libraries are so focused, there can sometimes be a high demand for certain book titles. To ensure that as many patrons as possible can have access to the books they need, libraries have reserve collections, the books of which are only available for short-term loans. These loans can range from a few days to as short as a few hours. Libraries may also have archives of old photographs, films, musical scores and even artwork. This is especially important today, with libraries being required to offer more services for their patrons with fewer resources. Research librarians Librarians at research libraries are responsible for curating the library's collections. They identify the best books and resources by reading catalogues, publishers' announcements and book reviews, and acquire them for the libraries. These resources are often of high quality and are from trusted sources and publishers. They also catalogue and organize the books and resources, maintain and repair books as required. They conduct informational or reference interviews with patrons to ascertain what information they are looking for, and the purpose behind their research. This can help them to direct users to the appropriate databases or materials or in some cases obtaining these materials from external sources for them. With the changing role of libraries, research librarians' roles have evolved to include more than just selecting and maintaining the library's offerings and books, and helping patrons locate the items of their choice. Today, librarians must also be technologically savvy so they can teach users how to use the library's electronic systems. Librarians also spearhead the digitization projects of any primary research sources that the library might have. These sources are typically the result of research projects conducted by the librarians affiliated with that institution. Future prospects With the rapid advancement of technology and the advent of the digital age, consumers' expectations are changing and libraries are being required to improve their digital infrastructure. This phenomenon began in the early 2010s and has been accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic when many libraries across the world were physically closed forcing patrons to rely solely on their electronic offerings. Libraries have had to update their technological infrastructure in order to keep up with the new demands of the public. Libraries are now required to have extensive digital collections which comprise electronic journals, ebooks and virtual reference services. They must also make their catalogues available online for users to quickly determine whether the library has the materials they need and when and how these materials will be available for their use. Many libraries also have interlinked systems that enable patrons to reserve and borrow books from affiliated libraries, effectively increasing their collection size while keeping costs down. Libraries are also required to be more efficient to meet both consumer demand and to keep up with continuing budget cuts. One benefit of increasing digitization is that it enables greater automation of workflows within libraries which ensures that they become more streamlined. These increased efficiencies ensure libraries and their librarians are able to provide the highest quality service possible. ==Gallery==

File:Rom, Vatikanische Museen, Großer Saal der Bibliothek, Salone Sistino 1.JPG|The Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library, Vatican City File:Widener Library.jpg|Widener Library at Harvard University is one of the largest research libraries in the world. File:Folger Reading Room.jpg|Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C. File:Bibliotheca, Valletta, Malta 001.jpg|The National Library of Malta in Valletta File:NDL Tokyo02bs3200.jpg|The National Diet Library of Japan File:Cmglee Cambridge Trinity College Neviles Court.jpg|Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge University File:Rijks Museum Library.jpg|The Rijksmuseum Research Library in Amsterdam, the Netherlands == See also ==