Brief Timeline of Library Information Science (LIS)

Here is a brief timeline of the history of libraries and library information science, highlighting significant events and developments:

2600 BCE: The Royal Library of Ashurbanipal, one of the earliest known libraries, is established in Nineveh, present-day Iraq. The library contains thousands of clay tablets written in cuneiform script.

300 BCE: The Great Library of Alexandria is founded in Egypt, housing an extensive collection of scrolls and serving as an essential center of learning and scholarship in the ancient world.
1st century BCE: The Library of Pergamum, another vital library in the ancient world, is established in present-day Turkey.

1st century CE: Private libraries, called "bibliotheca," became popular among wealthy Romans.

4th century CE: The first Christian libraries emerged, often housed in monasteries and focused on religious texts.

9th-15th centuries: The Islamic Golden Age establishes many significant libraries, such as the House of Wisdom in Baghdad and the Library of Al-Hakam II in Cordoba.

1450: Johannes Gutenberg invents the printing press, revolutionizing the production and distribution of books.

The 1600s-1700s: European libraries, such as the Bodleian Library in Oxford (1602) and the British Library in London (1753), were founded and expanded their collections.

19th century: Public libraries became widespread, particularly in the United States and Europe, due to social reforms and the belief in the importance of education and access to information.

1876: The American Library Association (ALA) is founded to promote library services and librarianship.

1895: Melvil Dewey introduces the Dewey Decimal Classification system, a significant library organization, and cataloging development.

20th century: Library science education programs such as the Graduate Library School at the University of Chicago (1926) and Columbia University's School of Library Service (1927) are established.

The 1960s: The advent of computer technology leads to the development of online library catalogs, electronic databases, and other digital resources, transforming library services and information science.

The 1980s-1990s: The growth of the internet and the World Wide Web revolutionizes access to information, leading libraries to offer online services and resources, such as e-books and virtual references.

2000s-present: Libraries continue to adapt to the digital age, embracing new technologies and expanding their offerings of online resources, services, and user-centered initiatives.