By Anushia Kandasivam ;
LIBRARIES have
existed almost as long as civilisation. The first libraries in the world were
archives, consisting of published public records - commercial transactions and
inventories. Societies soon started keeping standardised practice texts for
scribes, copies of religious teachings, records of discoveries in science,
lists of words, and bilingual vocabularies.
A modern library
contains books of history, literature, science, philosophy and everything in
between, including fiction. A good one will contain public records, sound and
video archives, and electronic documents. A great one will run reading and
learning programmes for the public, helping to guide its members on their quest
for knowledge.
