Library

Collection of books belonging to a private person, community, public institution or joint-stock company, also the repository of such a collection. Pis i stratus founded at Athens the first public library ab. 540 B.C. The second of note was founded by Ptolemy Philadelphus 284 B.C. It was partially destroyed when Cæsar set fire to Alexandria 47 B.C. (see ALEXANDRIAN LIBRARY). Aristotle, according to Strabo, had the first private library, 334 B.C. The following table gives all the libraries in the world containing 500,000 or more volumes: IMG:content-1088.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-1089.jpg:[blocks in formation]