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Library World Records is a fascinating reference book first published in 2004 after research work began on the book in 2002. The book was further extensively updated in a second edition in December 2009. Library World Records provides hundreds of intriguing and comprehensive facts about ancient and modern books, manuscripts and libraries around the world. A much bigger brand new 3rd edition of the Library World Records is now available for pre-order at http://www.lwrw.org/Aboutrecords2.htm The new edition will be published in January 2017.

N.B. Although it soon becomes obvious from the theme of this book, Library World Records has been called the the Guinness Book of World Records specifically on books, librarians and libraries.

BOOK SPECS: 3rd edition: ISBN: 978-1-4766-6777-5. Over 470 pages, 156 new photographs. Includes a detailed bibliography and a 48-page comprehensive index. Paperback (alkaline) edition, 7 x 10 inches. Library of Congress number (tbc).

Library World Records provides answers to such questions as:

Which universities in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas have the largest libraries? What is the name of oldest public libraries in all of the different continents of the world? In what year was the first CD-ROM book released? What are the names of the oldest texts written in Greek, Celtic and Latin? In what years were the first books printed in French, Hausa, Thai, Japanese, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Turkish published? What are the name of the oldest extant texts or inscriptions written in Chinese, Hindi, English, German, Russian, Mongolian and Malay? When was the first major computer database used in libraries? What are the titles of the largest, heaviest, smallest and most expensive books ever published? Where in the world is the world’s five busiest public libraries? Which famous horror fiction writer, prime mimnisters and movie stars also worked in libraries? What is the name of the first Sub-Saharan African university library founded in the 14th century? What are the titles of the largest journals and magazines in world? Which libraries have the most expensive budgets in the world? Which 200 major movies were filmed in libraries? How many libraries are there in Russia, Germany, France, the U.S., Japan and Egypt? Which libraries in Europe and the U.S. have the oldest copies of the Gutenberg Bible? When were the first 10 university libraries in Asia and the Middle East founded? Where can we find the oldest extant library building in the world? What is the name of the first library in Europe to open 24 hours a day? Even though much of Africa had a strong oral tradition, what is the name of the first major book to be written in Africa, in an African language, south of the Sahara Desert? Which countries publish the largest number of books in the world? What are the names of the first three published books in the world to contain photographs? Where are the tallest bookstores and library buildings in the world? What is the name of the most expensive book theft in the world? What famous book caused its author to be burned at stake for being a heretic? Which famous ruler of England was barred from entering England's most famous library and why? Where in Asia can the largest stone inscriptions be found? Which library in the world was the first to illuminate the library with electric bulbs? What is the name of the list of books that were banned by the Vatican for hundreds of years? What are the names of the oldest surviving papyrus, vellum, parchment and paper manuscripts? Which libraries around the world have more than 500 staff members? What is the name of the very first printed book in the world to have page numbers? What are the names of the first books and illuminated manuscripts to be printed in colour? What are the names of the largest art libraries, history databases, engineering libraries, and geography databases? What are the names of the 100 largest libraries in the world? Finally.... What are the names of the 100 oldest libraries in the world? These inquisitive questions are just a few samples of over 500 questions, whose answers can be found in second edition of Library World Records, the first specific reference book of its kind to be published in the world covering a wide range of library and book superlatives, and in paperback format.

With more than 410 photographs from around the world on ancient and modern libraries, papyrus, parchment and velum manuscripts, clay and stone inscriptions, incunabula, and famous librarians etc, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions of Library World Records offers readers amazing facts and figures about libraries around the world, and the three important things we normally find in them: books, periodicals and databases. The book deals with superlatives and comparative information such as the first, the largest, the oldest, the smallest and other miscellanea covering a period of more than 5000 years.

These hundreds of facts also vividly illustrate the wonder and rich evolution of books and libraries from crude and simple to sophisticated, complex and efficient.