Private library

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
A private library is a library under the care of private ownership, as compared to that of a public institution, and is usually only established for the use of a small number of people, or even a single person. As with public libraries, some people use stamps, stickers, or embossing to show ownership of the items. Some people sell their private libraries to established institutions such as the Library of Congress, or, as is often the case, bequeath them thereto after death, through a will.
The first libraries were all private, usually restricted to nobility, aristocracy, scholars, or theologians. Most of the surviving texts of the ancient world come from private libraries, as public libraries were subject to destruction during war.