The first libraries date back more than 5,000 years - from Sumer (Iraq,) Nippur (Ur – think Abraham) about 1900 BC, and Ninevah (remember Jonah?) around 700 A.D."Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith," (D&C 88:118).
Legend says that after seeing the library of Ashurbanipal in Ninevah, Alexander the Great wanted to create a collection of all the nations he conquered. The Great Library of Alexandria became a graduate school, laboratory and think tank of the day and was considered one of the ancient wonders of the world.
It consisted of several libraries located on palace grounds. While libraries flourished in the West, they were being burned in the East. The act of burning books to control information can be seen throughout history. During the early Middle Ages, books were chained to shelves as valuable possessions and the loaning of books was forbidden. Gutenberg’s innovation in the 1400s revolutionized bookmaking enabling printed books to be placed on open shelves.
The oldest library in America began with a 400 book donation by clergyman, John Harvard, to a Massachusetts university who eventually adopted his name. In 1731, Benjamin Franklin started the first dues-paying library in Philadelphia. Here in Laie, Professor Kenneth T. Slack was the first librarian and member of the original faculty. Dr. Reuben D. Law, first president of The Church College of Hawaii, said of this library in his 1955 report:
“A college cannot really claim to be a college without a library serving effectively as the center of intellectual endeavor. I’m pleased to announce…that approximately 5,000 library books have been purchased this year for the library… which is a fair beginning – only a beginning. We have taken this matter of a library’s importance very seriously.”
Today, the Joseph F. Smith Library remains a dynamic place of growth and generativity. It offers tools and technology critical to our lives and is a central meeting point and common ground for study, collaboration, creation, and personal meditation. This week, Smith Library is also a place to celebrate and recognize the valuable contributions of all library workers. Join us for fun challenges, activities, and most of all – learning!