Library history

The Journal of Library History says King Ashurbanipal (ruled 669-631 BC) of Assyria’s library at Nineveh on the Tigris opposite what is now Mosul, Iraq is considered the earliest known library.


Plutarch (46-120 AD) said Julius Caesar accidentally burned the famous Library of Alexandria, Egypt while purposely burning his own ships in 48 BC.


Constantine’s (46-120 AD) mom St. Helena built a chapel at the possible site of the strange bush from Exodus 3:2 in Sinai, Egypt. It is now called St. Catherine’s Monastery after the beautiful scholar from Alexandria the Golden Legend says was tortured and beheaded by Maxentius (250 -312 AD) after marrying Jesus in the desert. Emelibrary.org says St. Catherine’s Library is the oldest continuously operating library in the world.


Loc.gov says the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. is the largest library in the world after having been burned by the British in 1814 then having bought 6,487 of Thomas Jefferson’s books in 1815.


Literacy Volunteers of Augusta say the first public library building in Maine, built in 1880 in Hallowell is often mistaken as a church.


The Abel J. Morneault Library may not be the biggest, oldest or richest but it does have the DVD “Jimmy Franck’s Van Buren Memories,” bringing alive Van Buren’s past with haunting photos, interesting research and a World War II Pacific Theater Veteran’s endangered species memories.


You’ll forget your potato chips!


Keith C. Taft


Van Buren


https://www.bangordailynews.com/2012/02/21/opinion/wednesday-feb-22-2012-teachers-libraries-and-the-right-to-choose/

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