Library: An Unquiet History is a short, compact volume about the history of libraries throughout the ages. At the time the book was published, its author, Matthew Battles, worked for both Houghton Library and the rare books library at Harvard.
This book begins with an engaging introduction about the library at Harvard University. The author quotes Thomas Wolfe, “the more he read, the less he seemed to know,” about wanting to read everything in Widener library.
The history about libraries is presented in a chronological timeline. It starts with the Alexandria library in A.D. 641 and touches on Nazi book-burning during World War II. We also learn about Dewey decimal system and its creator, Melville Dewey, and why the cataloguing process in libraries got started in the first place.
The first chapter of this book is called “Reading the Library.” It’s the best part of the book, maybe because the author’s style and word choice are oh so elegant. But honestly, after that, the book becomes dry and a bit boring. Librarians might love this book, but it’s definitely not for everyone.
Other books by Matthew Battles include:
- Widener: Biography of a Library (2004)
- The Sovereignties of Invention (2012)
- Palimpsest: A History of the Written Word (2015)
What did you think about this book?
Last Updated on February 11, 2026 by Sarah Ann
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