8 Interesting Facts About Libraries
All of us know what a library is, so I won’t insult you on that score, but let’s face it, most of us nowadays see libraries as boring, solemn places, where quiet, solitude, and an unnatural commitment to study are enforced in ways that would make mask mandates seem like child’s play (oh wait, they kind of really were :-/ )… but to see libraries in this light would be to miss the wonderful opportunities for learning and personal development that they can provide.
The other thing we hear a lot is, “Why do I need libraries? There’s Google.” Sure, I mean they’re both essentially a place where you can go (in person or online), to look up and find out about stuff. But the ways in which we use them are vastly different.
So now that we are getting excited about libraries ;-) let’s take a look at a few fascinating and historical facts about them. Despite being a custodian of information used to shape and develop civilisations in history, many of these facts about libraries remain unknown to users across the world! :-0
What on earth is ‘Library Hand’?
Before the typewriter and the all mighty computer, librarians had to write in a particular way. This was called ‘Library hand’.
Back then, index cards were used to enter library catalogues. As this was done manually, the writing had to be clear, and so library hand was taught to librarians in schools.
The Library of Ashurbanipal - the Oldest Library in the World
Re-discovered by archaeologists in the 1850s, the Library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh was established by Ashurbanipal, King of Assyria from 668 – 630 BC, (present-day Iraq). It is regarded as the oldest library in the world.
The Library of Congress, USA - The World’s Largest Library
Housed in three buildings on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. It has more than 170 million items, and its research materials are sourced from across the globe, written in more than 450 languages.
The Al-Qarawiyyin Library in Morocco - The Oldest Library in the World, Still in Use
Founded in 859 CE, the Al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez, Morocco, has over 4000 rare books and prehistoric works. It is also the world’s oldest operational library, and was reopened in 2016 after restoration. This shows how far back learning existed in Africa.
A Tale of Two Cities
Built in 1904, the renowned Haskell Free Library was deliberately built to straddle the Canada-United States border. Half of the building is located in Stanstead, Quebec, while the other half is in Derby Line, Vermont USA.
The building also contains an Opera House, and because the library collection and the opera stage are both located in Stanstead on the Quebec side, it’s often sometimes referred to as "the only library in the USA with no books", and "the only opera house in the USA with no stage".
The Most Stolen Library Book
The Guinness Book of World Records is the most often stolen library book. So, it can literally hold its own record! Ha, go figure...
The First Library Philanthropist
Like ZODML, Scottish-American industrialist Andrew Carnegie (1835 - 1919), established free public libraries, so that everyone could have a means of self-education. He established 2,509 such libraries across the world.
Beyond Collective Storage, a Publishing House
The Bethlehem Area Public Library in Pennsylvania, USA, has a publishing arm called BAPL Books. Their mission is to “publish, promote, and celebrate writers from Bethlehem and the surrounding area, as well as titles highlighting the history and culture of the region.”
How amazing that a library can be used in this way, as a means of getting their own local talent out there (who no doubt also grew up using the library). BAPL Books helps burgeoning writers take the first steps to their own literary success!
