How A Monastery in Prague Led Me to Learn More About the History of Libraries...

Strahov Monastery

Two Decembers ago, my husband and I were being shown the sites of the charming Czech city of Prague by our oldest son, David, who was there doing a couple of semesters abroad at FAMU (the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts).

View looking down on the city of Prague, from the Monastery.

Before our travels I had come across photos on the Internet of the Strahov Monastery and its library, high on a hilltop overlooking the city, and I put it down as a must see for our trip...

Strahov Monastery Library

"Peace, awe, order, and curiosity". Those are the words that came to mind as I stood staring into the doorways of two of the most beautiful rooms I had ever seen!

Philosophical Hall

Walls lined with shelves, full of old books, above which were gilded wood carved decorations and ceilings splashed with frescoes: The Halls of Philosophy and Theology at Prague's Strahov Monastery Library.

Theological Hall

The library collections contain approximately 200,000 volumes, stored in the halls and adjacent depositories.  Many of the works were printed between 1501 and 1800.

Our visit to the monastery library that day left me wanting to explore more about the history of libraries. They've certainly come a long way over the centuries, these days often looking more municipal than museum-like, but they will always be an integral part of our history, culture, and communities.

Our view upon leaving Strahov Monastery. 

Here's what I found...

EARLY HISTORY OF BOOKS AND LIBRARIES:

From the start, civilizations needed some some type of repository for their written works. The first "books" (mainly public records) were inscribed with a stylus onto clay tablets by the ancient Mesopotamians.  Some of the ancient library archives had shelves built in the walls to stack the tablets; others employed the use of baskets or earthenware jars.

  

In time, literature developed - epics, myths, science, and history.  I’m sure most of us were assigned in school to read the Epic of Gilgamesh, the ancient Babylonian creation story, which was originally recorded on clay tablets! 

In ancient Egypt, papyrus scrolls were used to write on. These were most often stored with labels attached, so the whole scroll wouldn’t have to be unrolled in order to identify its contents. 

By 600 BC in ancient Greece, the first public libraries (in beautiful structures built by leading citizens) - as well as private and personal libraries - were beginning to flourish, with large collections of both fiction and non-fiction works inscribed onto parchment rolls. 

The Chinese imperial library has a history dating back to the Qin Dynasty (221-201 BC). The first library classification system in China was established during the Han Dynasty.   The library catalog during this time was written on scrolls of fine silk and stored in silk bags.

SOMETHING NEW:  CODEX

Beginning in the second century in Rome, literature, science, and technical information began to be recorded onto wax coated wooden boards, which were stacked and then bound. These bound tablets became known as "codex", with parchment eventually replacing the boards.

New libraries emerged in monasteries of Europe during the Middle Ages, concentrating on acquiring and copying manuscripts in the codex form only (as opposed to on scrolls).  

With the invention of the printing press by the German, Johannes Gutenberg, around 1440, mass-produced books in codex form became widely available to everyone - not just royalty, the church, and scholars.

SOMETHING NEWER: THE DIGITAL AGE

In recent years, with the increased use of the Internet to gather and retrieve data, we are now witnessing the birth of books in electronic digital format on a glowing computer screen - “virtual” books.  As we advance forward into this digital age, let’s not leave behind our past!

You can be sure that the gradual shift to e-books and digital libraries will greatly impact our culture and communities.  Traditional book lovers and library enthusiasts like me can't help but wonder how e-books will transform our physical experience with real books and our visits to libraries.  After all, these original archives were “physically communal” places, not “digitally communal” files or websites. 

I am sure time will work out the balance of "e-books" and traditional “real” books (and the library structures that house them).  Through the digital world we have so much information at our fingertips, but how can we possibly resist the physical aspects of books: the touch and feel of pages to be turned, the smell of ink and paper, and the shelves where these friends are neatly stacked?

PLEASE SUPPORT AND VISIT LOCAL AND HISTORICAL LIBRARIES!
Whether you frequent modern libraries in order to borrow books, do research, have a quiet place to read, or so your kids can enjoy story time and use the Internet (for free!), don't forget to also visit historical libraries - both in the U.S. and around the globe.  They are beautiful preservations of art and architecture, as well as "home" to books.  I plan to visit libraries for the rest of my life.  How about you?  

Source for the historical information in this post: The Library: An Illustrated History, by A.P. Murray.

Detailed information about the history of the Strahov Monastery Library can be found here.

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR PARENTS, AND GOOD NEWS FOR "REAL" BOOKS

source

I can't tell you how happy reading these words made me today: "Reading forges connections between parents and children... It's also good for little brains. But does the form in which the words appear matter? The New York Times reports that parents — even those who are avid digital downloaders — are shunning kids' e-books for the real thing. It seems that the feel and texture of paper pages dappled with colorful illustrations trumps the static dimensions of a screen."

source: Oleana's Blog

The above quote is from an article, "Why Parents Still Want to Read Real Books, Not E-Books, to their Kids", from TIME Magazine which is citing a New York Times report, "For Their Children, Many E-book Fans Insist on Paper."

from PARENTS CONNECT:
 "Best Loved Books - A Dozen We Love"

The TIME Magazine article also mentions two previously published pieces that parents of very young children should read before plopping their little ones in front of a television or handing them an iPad: "Should You 2-Year-Old Be Using an iPad?" and "'Educational T.V.' For Babies: It Doesn't Exist".


Hurray for books!

E-READERS OR TRADITIONAL BOOKS? WHICH IS THE GREENER CHOICE?

THE JURY IS STILL OUT...
I'm no expert when it comes to questions about digital technology or the environment, but the experts are saying there's a LOT to consider in determining the carbon footprint of e-books versus traditional paper books. My head is spinning from all the information I've been taking in lately. Kind of like reading Jabberwocky.

Trial of the Knave of Hearts
illustration by John Tenniel

PLANT A TREE:  SAVE A BOOK?
One of the main selling points in favor of e-readers is that they are paperless.  But everyone knows that traditional books are sustainable and can be easily shared among friends, donated to used books stores, and ultimately recycled at the end of their shelf life.

Capitalizing on the fact that e-books are the latest trend, an Italian
based design company, Gartenkulter, has actually
designed planters made from old and disused books.  I
certainly hope this is not the future of traditional books!

From "E-Readers vs. Old Fashioned Books - Which is Greener?" on the SIERRA CLUB GREEN HOME website: Here’s the best answer... go to the public library next time you are downtown. Borrow three or four books, finish them all, then return ‘em next time you’re near the library. This is truly the most sustainable way to read: the good old fashioned public library. We preach “reduce, reuse, and recycle” and library books can be read by dozens of people over their lifetime.  And once they are finally too dog-eared and beaten up to grace library shelves, they can be easily recycled since they are generally all paper (even the leather on deluxe bound editions can be recycled).

Are e-books green? GREEN LIVING says, "The short answer is almost certainly yes, but only if you're comparing e-books to new books. As usual, the greenest way to go is reuse."

IT'S NOT E-ASY BEING GREEN...
So, what if you like buying new books and you read lots of books? E-reading may be paperless, but that doesn't mean it has no carbon footprint, as you can see from another well-researched article, "The Environmental Impacts of E-Books", posted by the GREEN PRESS INITIATIVE.  To make up the various electronic components and battery, e-readers require several mineral sources such as plastic (derived from oil) metal, and glass.  There is also the energy consumption of an e-reader to be considered, and whether or not e-book manufacturers have recycling programs(and how they go about it, if they do).

I'm not personally excited about e-books for children, especially those with distracting apps, but it appears we're seeing the beginning of a trend that could explode.  Since consumers help determine the market, I just hope parents will only supplement, not replace, good old fashioned books with e-readers, if or when they decide to follow the trend. But that's a whole different blog post...  


My mantra stays the same:  visit the library with your kids! Your wallet will thank you and you'll benefit the environment. If there are special books you want to own or give as gifts - especially children's picture books - my advice is to shop for the  traditional paper versions (new or used).  I think the environment will survive these sustainable purchases and your children (and grandchildren) will thank you for not leaving their tangible,  paper friends behind!