W. Elmo Reavis: Library Bookbinder [Tiffney Sanford, Librarian, North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Branch]

Find out about a fascinating figure in library history in this piece by Tiffney Sanford, with lots of beautiful images and primary sources!!!:

This SC library is older than the Library of Congress. It has big plans for America’s 250th anniversary [Nicole Ziege, Georgetown Times]

Library History Database 2.0

Greetings all, About a year I shared the launch of the library history database, based on Ed Goedeken's bibliographies. Bibliography Search | Bibliography of Library History, 1990-Present Since then, the database has significantly expanded. David Lincove and I have…

A New Rare Book Sanctuary: Peter Harrington Rare Books Gallery in New York [Kathleen McCook, Ebla to Ebooks]

Letter to ALA Executive Board re: limiting Round Table ballots

This letter from Patricia Schuman, former ALA President & Treasurer & ALA Honorary Member, includes history of the role of the Social Responsibilities Round Table within ALA and provides institutional history that may be of interest.…

Reminder & Update: ALA Library History Round Table (LHRT) Reads -October 30th Event

Greetings, Please join us online for the next ALA Library History Round Table (LHRT) Reads event on October 30th at 7:00pm (Eastern Time). We will be discussing The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by…

Join the LHRT Board!

Dear LHRT members, It is time to get our nominations together for LHRT next year. If you want to get more involved, this is your chance! We hope that many of you will consider running for office – it is a fun way to get involved nationally. As part of the Executive Committee,…

The Industrial Revolution and the Rise of Public Libraries [Connor A. Reazin]

Check it out in the "Information Innovations" column!:

2026 Davis Award (Second) Call for Nominations

The Library History Round Table (LHRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) invites nominations for the 2026 Donald G. Davis Article Award. The Davis Award is given every even-numbered year to recognize the best article written in English in the…

Artist Creates a 1-Centimeter Book for the Moon’s First Art Gallery. It’s Longer Than You Think [David Chiu, People]

The Beautiful Paris Library That Transformed ‘Modern’ Architecture [William O’Connor, Getting Around with William O’Connor]

Alexandria vs. Pergamon: The Ancient Battle of the Greatest Libraries [Nick Kampouris, Greekreporter.com]

Also see The Libraries of Alexandria and Pergamon as Classical Models, By Gregory Nagy, Classical Inquiries, Harvard University, Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

ALA Library History Round Table (LHRT) Reads -October 30th Event

Greetings, Please join us online for the next ALA Library History Round Table (LHRT) Reads event on October 30th at 7:00pm (Eastern Time). We will be discussing The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss. Advance…

The Joy of Reading Books About Books [Literary Hub]

Philippine Libraries: Colonization to Reclamation [Camille D. Osborn]

Check it out on our Themes Through the Ages column:

ALA Wants to Hear from You During Its 150th Anniversary [Phil Morehart, ALA]

Three Centuries of Tunnel Books [Kathleen McCook, Ebla to Ebooks]

"Books as Optical Illusions at the University of Florida Smathers Library"

Timeless temples of the written word: Oxford might be best described as a city of books [William Aslet, The Critic]

Photo by Lina Kivaka on Pexels.com

The most beautiful libraries around the world: 13 places for a book lover’s pilgrimage [Yamini Chinnuswamy, The Straits Times]

Join the LHRT Board!

Dear LHRT members, Your Nominations Committee is looking for a few good candidates for the LHRT Board–for three elected positions: Vice Chair / Chair Elect / Immediate Past Chair Vice Treasurer / Treasurer Elect Secretary We are also looking for two of our four…

List of Top 10 Oldest Libraries in the World [Ayukta Zisha, Jargan Josh]

Library book returned after 82 years

Read this AP News story of a library book returned 82 years late to the San Antonio Public Library, with a note saying “Grandma won’t be able to pay for it anymore."

Implementation and Legacy: Libraries as a Tool of Colonialism [Grace Knutsen]

Grace Knutsen notes that libraries can "be used to subtly influence the political and cultural identity of a community, as was the case with many colonial libraries" in her paper now available in "Themes Through the…

Studies into the History of the Book and Book Collections–2025 Issue Published

"This peer-reviewed quarterly continues a scholarly tradition dating back to 1975 and remains devoted to the broad field of book studies, with particular attention to the history of books, libraries, and written…

Cathedral Archives, Libraries and Collections Association (CALCA) [Dr. Kathleen McCook, Ebla to E-Books]

Interesting Type of Special Library…

Two Years After Cormac McCarthy’s Death, Rare Access to His Personal Library… [Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine]

Back to Baroque: The Multigenerational Search for Meaning in the Architecture of Monastic Libraries [Alison Wilkie]

Journey into the world of Baroque libraries, and unlock their hidden messages, in this paper by Alison Wilkie in our "Library Chronicles" column!: The Austrian National Library is an…

Textual Cultural Heritage Model: A Culture-Centric Approach to Library History [Ruby Spargo]

Ruby Spargo, a student pursuing the MLIS with a specialization in Archives Management at Indiana University--Indianapolis, proposes a new model for library history research through a study of…

I toured the private library of J.P. Morgan, one of the richest men of the Gilded Age. It felt like going back in time [Gabbi Shaw, Business Insider]

Photo by Jordan Benton on Pexels.com