Interestingly, I just visited what I believe is generally regarded to be the first community-owned public library in the world: the Biblioteca Maletestiana in C

Interestingly, I just visited what I believe is generally regarded to be the first community-owned public library in the world: the Biblioteca Maletestiana in Cesena, Italy, established 1447. It had books in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, all chained to their desks so that patrons couldn't walk off with them. And the chains worked: the books are still there.