1. Create Your Own Story @ Your Library
The History of Libraries
Ancient Libraries: 300 BCE – 200 BCE
Today, our school libraries provide activities and resources that empower you to learn and grow. Because of this, the American Association of School Librarians has chosen April as School Library Media Month.
Create Your Own Your Library TM
School Library Media Month  April 2011Library Media ServicesMiami-Dade County Public Schools

2. Ancient Libraries: ca. 300 BCE
First great private library established…
Established in Ancient Greece in the city of Athens
Established by Aristotle, philosopher and scientist
Ancient libraries…circa 300 BCE. Aristotle, a great philosopher, scientist, and teacher established the first great private library in Ancient Greece in the city of Athens.
Source: SIRS Knowledge Source & Grolier Multimedia

3. Location of Aristotle’s private library
Ancient Libraries:
ca. 300 BCE
Location of Aristotle’s private library
Athens
On this map of Ancient Greece, you can see the location of Ancient Athens.
Source: Grolier Multimedia

4. Ancient Libraries - ca. 200 BCE
Library of Pergamum in Western Asia Minor
Located in Western Asia Minor…now Turkey
Founded by Attalus I
Contained as many as 160,000 papyrus scrolls
Pergamum
Another ancient library was located at a place called Pergamum. Pergamum was founded on the Aegean coast in what is now Bergama, Turkey.
Source: Facts on File - Ancient History

5. Pergamum and Alexandria
Ancient Libraries:
Pergamum and Alexandria
Legend:
Ptolemy II, ruler of Alexandria, became so jealous of the competing Pergamum library that he banned the export of papyrus from Egypt.
Last week we mentioned the ancient library at Alexandria, Egypt. The rulers of that library and the rulers of the Pergamum library, according to legend, developed an intense rivalry. Each wanted to have the very best library.
So…Ptolemy II, ruler of Alexandria, banned the export of papyrus from Egypt. Remember…papyrus was what was used for writing.
So…

6. Pergamum and Alexandria
Ancient Libraries:
Pergamum and Alexandria
Legend continued…
…the scribes at the Pergamum library were forced to transcribe text on parchment, a material made from animal skins, such as calf skin or sheep skin.
So…the scribes at Pergamum were forced to find a new material on which to write. They began to use parchment, a material made from animal skins, such as calf skin or sheep skin.

7. Pergamum and Alexandria
Ancient Libraries:
Pergamum and Alexandria
Fact
Parchment was found to be much more durable than papyrus; thus, it came to replace papyrus as the main writing material in Europe.
Soon…the scribes discovered that parchment was found to be a better writing material than papyrus.
Thus…parchment became the main writing supply.
Source: eLibrary

8. Ancient Libraries Today:
Pergamum - The Ruins
Today, of course, the libraries at Pergamum and Alexandria no longer exist as they were. Here you see the ruins of what archaeologists believe the ruins of the Pergamum Library in what is now the country of Turkey.
Source: Grolier Multimedia

9. Ancient Libraries Today:
Library at Alexandria
Ancient Alexandria was home to a library, which was founded about 295 B.C. and burned to the ground in the fourth century. Ruins were never found. The auditoriums were found near the portico of the Roman Theater in the eastern part of the city. All the lecture halls are of identical dimensions.
Source: World Book

10. Pergamum and Alexandria
Ancient Libraries:
Pergamum and Alexandria
The ancient libraries of Alexandria and Pergamum were intended to be places where the most eminent minds of the time would meet. These ancient facilities were the research centers of the world. Aristotle, Archimedes, Eratosthenes, Euclid, and others used the Alexandria library. Scholars from all over the world were invited to come.
Read the slide.
Source:

11. Pergamum and Alexandria
Ancient Libraries:
Pergamum and Alexandria
The library at Alexandria was open to all civilization. Every effort was made to collect and transcribe every book in the world. Any ship that docked in Alexandria was searched. If any books were found, they were copied for the library.
Read the slide.
Source:

12. Pergamum and Alexandria
Ancient Libraries:
Pergamum and Alexandria
Sadly…the library at Alexandria was partially burned when Julius Caesar and his army attacked Alexandria. No one knows how much of it was destroyed. It is believed that the library was finally destroyed by an earthquake… although there are other legends that explain its demise.
Read the slide.
Source:

13. Pergamum and Alexandria
Ancient Libraries:
Pergamum and Alexandria
The Library at Pergamum came under the control of the Romans around 133 BCE. Funds that covered the maintenance of the library soon dwindled and the library was no longer kept maintained…thus eventually falling into ruins.
Read the slide.
Source:

14. Our journey continued to…
Source: Facts on File

15. Greece
Source: Facts on File

16. Greece
Athens
The first great private library was established in the city of __________.
Source: WorldBook

17. From Greece we travelled to…
Source: Facts on File

18. Turkey (Nineveh)
Source: Facts on File

19. Turkey (Nineveh)
It was more durable and lasted longer.
Why did parchment, which was used in the Pergamum Library in Turkey, replace papyrus as the main writing material in Europe?
Source: World Book

20. Today we visited… China, Iraq, Egypt, Greece, Turkey
Source: Facts on File

21. Think About It…
Who do you think most frequently had the opportunity to use the Ancient Libraries? Explain.
When a new book for the ancient libraries at Alexandria and Pergamum was discovered, how was a copy made? (Remember…this is ca. 300 BCE.)
What are some theories that explain the destruction of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt?
Read the slide.

22. Create Your Own Story @ Your LibraryTM
Visit your school library media center to discover the answers.
Your library media specialist…your ultimate search engine… is eager to help you!!!
A great place to search for the answers to these questions or any questions is your library media center and with your library media specialist.