Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources Reading Comprehension Worksheets History of Books and Writing Library Activities and Library Cards

Libraries:The Memory of Mankind History of Books and Writing

---

Libraries:The Memory of Mankind
Print Libraries:The Memory of Mankind Reading Comprehension


Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 9 to 12
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	8.05

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		printing, overdue, scribes, hand-copied, shelve, manuscript, mathematics, tremendous, subscription, nonfiction, literacy, reading, priceless, scholar, papyrus, monk
	content words:		Chinese Imperial Library, Forbidden City, Literary Glory, Few Chinese, General Omar, Roman Empire, Dark Ages, Middle Ages, Johannes Gutenberg, Harvard Library

Other Languages
     Spanish: Las Bibliotecas: El Recuerdo de la Humanidad

---

Libraries:The Memory of Mankind By Colleen Messina

---

¹     If you traveled back in time with your library card, hoping to check out some ancient books, you would discover that libraries were quite different long ago. Books were rare and valuable, and no librarians encouraged you to take them home. In fact, you would get in trouble if you did!
 
²     Five thousand years ago in Mesopotamia, the Sumerians tied their clay tablets together with twine and stored them in baskets. Librarians called the Keepers of the Tablets fiercely guarded the books, and you would not be able to check them out because they were so fragile. If you think having an overdue book is bad, imagine having to face an angry Keeper after breaking a clay tablet! At about the same time in history, Egyptian scribes kept track of papyrus scrolls in the temples, but the average Egyptian never saw those books and definitely couldn't take them home!
 
³     One other spot you would probably visit on a tour of ancient libraries was the magnificent Chinese Imperial Library in the Forbidden City, which belonged to the Emperor of China. However, this library wasn't at all like our public libraries today. If you were a commoner, you couldn't even go into the Forbidden City. If you did manage to sneak over its high walls and into the library, the Imperial librarians would certainly summon the guards to get rid of you! In the Hall of Literary Glory, the emperor studied selections from his 36,000 books. Few Chinese people had access to books 5,000 years ago.
 
⁴     The Greeks handled things differently. They gave everyone access to books because they loved learning. Their libraries contained scrolls on all subjects ranging from mathematics to myths. They built the most magnificent library in the world in Alexandria. Alexandria was on the northern coast of Egypt, and the great library of Alexandria existed for more than 900 years. It contained over 700,000 scrolls, which was the equivalent of 100,000 modern books. The librarians wanted their library to have a copy of every book ever written, so soldiers searched all the ships that came into the harbor. When the soldiers found books, they seized them! Library scribes then copied the manuscripts.

Paragraphs 5 to 12:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

---

Weekly Reading Books

Create Weekly Reading Books Prepare for an entire week at once!

---

Feedback on Libraries:The Memory of Mankind

Leave your feedback on Libraries:The Memory of Mankind   (use this link if you found an error in the story)

---

History of Books and Writing

History of Books and Writing

---

Library Activities and Library Cards

Library Activities and Library Cards

---

More Lessons

High School Reading Comprehensions and High School Reading Lessons

---

Social Studies

Social Studies

United States History and Theme Units         American Government         Ancient America         Ancient China         Ancient Egypt         Ancient Greece         Ancient India         Ancient Mesopotamia         Ancient Rome         Biographies         Canadian Theme Unit         Country Theme Units         Crime and Terrorism         Economics         European History: 1600s-1800s

Explorers         Famous Educators         Geography         Grades 2-3 Social Studies Wendy's World Series         History of Books and Writing         History of Mathematics         How Can I Help?         Inventors and Inventions         Middle Ages         Renaissance         World Religion         World War I         World War II         World Wonders

Copyright © 2025 edHelper