library have a reputation for being oh-so-boring places you visit only when you absolutely must. But on the contrary, these all-inclusive establishments are your friendly neighborhood cultural catchalls, holding the historical relics, documented research and readings of communities, governments and entire societies, dating back decades and sometimes even centuries or millenniums.
There is no doubt that libraries have had an impressively direct and significant impact on societies all over the world for thousands of years. Creating and providing an outlet for technological advancements, introducing and nurturing cultural artifacts, supporting the rise of various religions and helping to maintain a sense of historical structure, they have managed to help communities survive and thrive via numerous artistic outlets.
They’ve contributed immensely to our modern culture. But how did they get their start?
The Beginning: Archeological Findings of Ancient Libraries
Since the beginning of time, there has been a need to preserve artifacts in some fashion for later appreciation by new generations. As a result, it seems there has always been some form of a library in existence.
Archives of Egyptian historical records and literature.
Archeologists have spent centuries pulling together bits and pieces of history about our past. As a result of their research, they have managed to find what seems to be proof of the first libraries located in ancient Egypt.
Most of their conclusions were drawn from the information gathered by previous thinkers, philosophers and scientists who visited Egypt and were able to gather proof of documents found throughout the country in safe places, is refer to as where information is been kept.
In the paper, The Library in Ancient Egypt, Cairo University professor Dr. Abdel-Halim Nureddin explained that these safe places could only be described as libraries in that they required “classification, presentation and staff (librarians and many others)” just as modern libraries do today.
Of course, in order to have a library, something must fill it up. In the ancient days of Egypt, the items took the form of clay tablets and papyrus plants.
