Carriers and Access: the Role of Books and Libraries Through History

By Gregory Waksmulski

This work explores the relationship between books, libraries, authority and power in many societies over time. Both the relationship between books and libraries, and the relationship between information technology and society, are fundamentally consistent across human history. As carriers of information change, their libraries have changed physically and conceptually. As societies themselves change, concepts of power and authority also change. What thus changes is the use access and benefit of books and libraries.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781387133772

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Carriers and Access: the Role of Books and Libraries Through History

Carriers and Access: the role of books and libraries through history

Copyright © 2017 by Gregory Waksmulski

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing: 2017

ISBN 978-1-387-13377-2

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Epigram

This is the tragedy of the library throughout history: by bringing books together in one space, cultures and kings inevitably make of them a sacrifice to time

(Battles, 2003, p. 55).

Introduction

Libraries and books exist in a two-way relationship. Libraries house, collect, collocate, circulate and provide access to books. Books, for their part, populate and shape libraries both physically and intellectually. These relationships have been shaped by the changing types of books and public access for libraries. These external factors have changed gradually through time, as books and libraries have become more democratized.

It is important to delineate first what we mean by book. They have had many forms through their history. We will rely on the overarching concept of Books as the works conveyed through their media. The carrier matters to us, as it affects the form of libraries; but while these forms have changed, the relationship between works and their