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Lester S. King, MD

JAMA. 1975;231(8):833-835.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

A LIBRARY has always been a repository of learning. In this regard, we think especially of the monasteries in the Dark Ages and the monks who transmitted the heritage of the past while adding their own little bit. We can visualize the scriptorium where manuscripts were laboriously copied and often decorated, and the librarium, where they were stored. Perhaps the scribes might not have understood what they were copying, but they recognized that they dealt with something precious. In the librarium, the books may or may not have been much used, but at least they were kept and preserved. The passion for preservation indicates an esteem that transcends present use. Preservation for possible future use involves the very essence of scholarship.

However, the usefulness of a library has not always been universally agreed on. In times of stress, a library may be the first to suffer. An example from the . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
From the American Medical Association, Chicago.

Footnotes
Read in part before the dedication of the Health Sciences Library, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Sept 27, 1974.

Reprint requests to 535 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610.

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