Library: An Unquiet History

Matthew Battles packs a lot of intellectual history between these slim covers. As he notes in his introduction, a comprehensive history of libraries could fill volumes. He does provide, however, a survey of the key points in their evolution. His focus is on the changing role of the library as an intellectual institution, and he explains how someone who shapes a gathering of books, through the selections she makes and the manner of their presentation, is really the author of that collection.One of the more disquieting themes concerns the library as a target, both in wartime and in peace. The enemy, too often, has not been the Nazis or other enemies of thought; many times it has been someone who at first glance, would be assumed to be a friend of intellectual freedom, but in reality was seeking to contain and control it. It was disheartening to read of the destruction of truly irreplacable collections through the ages; yet the ultimate message, despite continuing challenges, seems to be one of the ultimate triumph of the book as a vessel for ideas and the library as a sanctuary for them.Battles works at the rare book library at Harvard, and his passion for books and the life of the mind is evident throughout this well-written volume. A most worthwhile and stimulating read!

An intriguing book on the subject of libraries. The author first talks about the history of libraries, in Alexandria, China, Rome, and of course England and the US. He talks about types: should a library be "universal" or dedicated for a purpose? Then he talks about the opposite, the deliberate hiding or destruction of books in Imperial China, Nazi Germany, and the pre-Civil-Rights south. An especially interesting section is on the "geniza", a sort of junkyard of old books used in societies where the destruction of a book was taboo; a thousand-year-old geniza can yield vast information for a 21st century archaeologist.My only complaint is that the book is not comprehensive: the author focuses on topics that interest him. Thus a long section on China but nothing concerning India or Japan. He likewise tells us a lot about a control freak named Melvil Dewey ( of Dewey-Decimal fame) but says nothing about Andrew Carnegie's sponsoring of public libraries. The things he does talk about are fascinating.

This important and useful book surveys libraries over 4500 years and 5 continents, from a consistent but dynamic perspective. This helps tactically by demonstrating how the 21st century tension between the views of libraries as collections of books or as digitized, Internet-wide materials has played out cyclically over at least 500 years in struggles over who gets to participate, and to be heard, in politics and culture. Borges, a librarian before becoming the great 20th century author, is aptly presented up front as a guide to the tour, reprising Dante's Virgil.

This book is well written and informative without being intensely boring.More importantly for me though? From the first page, the author captured my attention (and loyalty) when describing his reaction to being in an excellent library... it matched and I felt kinship. This has carried on though out the book, although some chapters are more interesting and compelling than others.I wouldn't have thought that this would be an enjoyable read, but it has been.Thankfully I purchased a copy of this book so I have been underlining and margin writing away.If you are interested in the history of libraries - try this book. It truly is an excellent work.

Am going to visit Leuven after reading this book! A fascinating book woven together by a rivetting storyteller. I've reread it several times; it's hard to shelve it for good! Absolutely gripping reading.An Unquiet History manages to cover a great expanse of time without becoming vague and generic, and without becoming too dense for the lay reader. The bibliography is super, too, and a well for more reading on the topic.I absolutely love this book and highly recommend it.

A wonderful read... The author has a ease with his subject and a entertaining style that makes it a joy delve into.

I do not mean by a 3-star "okay" ranking to suggest that I disliked Mr. Battles's book, only that I am not enthusiastic. In fact, it is a likable enough book: It is generally informative, includes interesting historical anecdotes, and offers some interesting observations about the historical and contemporary role of libraries, variously defined. It is easy reading, written with a light hand (that is a compliment), and unlike more academic tomes, is neither dry nor pedantic. But it meanders and digresses, offers rather conflicting notions about its subject, exhibits more than a few biases, and leaves one (or at least this reader) wondering about whether the author ultimately has a point to make.Perhaps an example would be useful: At one point, Battles suggests that books have often been best preserved by being dispersed among private owners rather than concentrated in large, central collections. This may not be an entirely original observation, but is thought-provoking and a point perhaps worth developing. Does it tell us anything useful about how we should preserve and make use of book (or other information) collections now or in the future? Battles does not say, and instead moves on to the next anecdote without further reflection or drawing any particular lesson.I suspect readers drawn to a book about libraries (i.e., at least modest bibliophiles, as I am) mostly will like Battles's book --- as is evident from more enthusiastic reviews. If you are looking for a brief and generally well-written collection of library "lore" rather than a study of the subject, this would not be a bad choice.

Some other books I read cited this one and I finally got around to reading it. It's a fast read, lots of details, and great references. The author is enthusiastic. I'm looking forward to reading his other books.

Impregnado de erudición poética, este libro muestra una historia de las bibliotecas a modo de narración fluida. No decepciona, entretiene y está escrito para dar una visión global de aspectos desconocidos, no publicados en lengua española. Si se quiere conocer la historia de las bibliotecas, este libro es un imprescindible.

Enjoyable book

In this book Battles covers the history of the library, giving an overview, starting with Alexandria and working his way to present times. This is a great starting point to get a general history of the library and readership. Battles takes into account Chinese and Middle-Eastern approaches to librarianship in history though it is mostly Euro-centric, particularly in the sections discussing the Medieval period and the Renaissance. I would highly recommend this book as an introduction to the long history of libraries. To go from Antiquity to Present time in only 222 pages is a lot to cover so he doesn’t go into too much detail. Very pleasant.

Very good overview of library history