A Brief Outline of the History of Libraries is written by Justus Lipsius, a Belgian philologist and humanist who wrote several books capitalizing on his love of philosophy and his penchant for detailed explorations of philosophical thought. This particular book, however, highlights a completely different interest of Lipsius': his passion for the cultivation of knowledge and the historic collection of ancient texts. This book is a great asset for readers interested in the origins of the modern library, for those that have an intense love of books, or even those who have worked in libraries and can appreciate the history of this hallowed institution. For Lipsius, the word library can describe three very different things: a place where books are kept, a physical bookcase, or books themselves. Lipsius' ode to libraries begins with an exploration of the history of the book, more specifically printed text, and how it rose to become a prevalent mode of communication in the modern world. Lipsius then explains how individuals began to collect these printed texts and store them in their homes, generally on aptly named "bookshelves." As printed texts became more and more mainstream and the intrinsic value of the book became a known commodity, groups or organizations quickly followed to collect, organize, and store said materials: what is known today as a library. Justus Lipsius' book A Brief Outline of the History of Libraries holds a considerable amount of information on the beginning of the printed word and the creation of libraries. This is an interesting read for anyone interested in the history of books, and especially people who have utilized or worked in libraries. This is a beginner book which sets solid groundwork for a more detailed exploration into the history of libraries. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.