02620cam a2200385 i 4500 591467774 TxAuBib 20220725120000.0 210312s2021||||||||||||||||||||||||eng|u 2021945164 9781541600775 hardcover 1541600770 hardcover (OCoLC)1241244230 TxAuBib rda Pettegree, Andrew,. The library : a fragile history / Andrew Pettegree and Arthur Der Weduwen. First US edition. New York, NY : Basic Books, 2021. ©2021. 518 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm. txt rdacontent n rdamedia nc rdacarrier sti rdacontent rdamedia rdacarrier Originally published in 2021 in Great Britain by Profile Books Ltd. Includes bibliographical references (pages [461]-502) and index. Famed across the known world, jealously guarded by private collectors, built up over centuries, destroyed in a single day, ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes, or filled with beanbags and children's drawings--the history of the library is rich, varied, and stuffed full of incident. In The Library, the first major work of its kind, historians Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen trace this extraordinary history, from the famous collections of the ancient world to the embattled public resources we cherish today. Along the way, they introduce us to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world's great collections, trace the rise and fall of technologies, ideologies, and tastes, and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanors committed in pursuit of rare and valuable manuscripts. Very often, they find, libraries flourish in the hands of their first owner, then waste away as collections that represented the values and interests of one generation fail to speak to the one that follows. Yet while collections themselves fall victim to damp, dust, moths, and bookworms, the idea of the library persists, as each generation makes--and remakes-- the institution anew. Beautifully written and deeply researched, The Library is essential reading for booklovers, collectors, and anyone who has ever gotten blissfully lost in the stacks. -- From dust jacket. 20220725. Libraries History. Libraries. History. Weduwen, Arthur der,.