Estimates vary wildly, since so little about ancient times survives. In any case, I have no desire to clog the Digest with what must be considered a rather minor topic. If you care to continue this discussion, please feel free to email me off-list; I'd be only too happy to talk further, being an avid bibliophile.
> Medieval libraries were mostly much smaller -- a pair
> of notable Carolingian libraries (800-1100 AD) had 400
> and 650 volumes each (presumably codex-format books).
I would imagine libraries in the West as being simultaneously more numerous and smaller. More in line with medieval figures from our world.
> Anyway, my crack about an order of magnitude is incorrect.
> There may be a few Gloranthan libraries that have 100,000+
> items, but most will be much much smaller.
I was surprised myself the first time I researched the topic. Literacy in the ancient world was always thought of as quite rare, but research in modern times seems to have indicated it was more common than that. Conversely, literacy in Glorantha is dropping off as people move away from the old RQ alternate-modern-fantasy model towards a more accurate picture of the barbarian Sartarites.
Roland
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