History of libraries in the western world

Part I: Libraries in the ancient world

The origin of libraries

Babylonian and Assyrian libraries

Egyptian libraries

Greek libraries

Roman libraries

Part II: Medieval libraries

Byzantine and Moslem libraries

Monastic and cathedral libraries

The rise of the university, the Renaissance, the invention of printing, and the growth of libraries in Europe to 1500

Part III: Modern library development in the West

European libraries : expansion and diversification to 1917

Libraries in America to 1850

Modern European libraries

Modern American libraries.