Alexandria's Ashes: War and the Loss of Libraries

For as long as libraries have existed, they have been vulnerable to plunder, damage, and destruction during periods of war and political conflict. This study explores four notorious instances in which libraries were deliberately targeted. Historical and journalistic accounts, official statements, eyewitness testimony, and gestures are analyzed for what they may reveal about the personal and cultural value of these libraries at the moment of their loss. Belligerents may destroy or appropriate library collections in order to deprive their opponents of material treasure, to disarm them intellectually, or to control or destroy cherished cultural relics. At the moment of their catastrophic loss, libraries also appear to assume symbolic value as the embodiment of a civilization or a culture. For these reasons, it is likely that libraries will continue to be targeted during ideological conflicts despite international legal conventions guaranteeing their protection.