> These were not libraries in the modern sense so much as private archives, owned and controlled by religious orders or royalty and only available to a select f

> These were not libraries in the modern sense so much as private archives, owned and controlled by religious orders or royalty and only available to a select few. Isn't this exactly the modern definition of a library? > A library is a curated collection of sources of information and similar resources, selected by experts and made accessible to a defined community for reference or borrowing, often in a quiet environment conducive to study. [0] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library