The essential task of the librarian has remained the same: to collect and preserve the record of human accomplishment and imagination and to put this record in the hands of those who use it. (Lerner, 2002, p.200)

Perhaps the most famous of all early libraries is that of Alexandria. It has iconic status, representing “the idea of a large, comprehensive library embracing all of knowledge” (Bagnall, 2002, p.361). The model for an early research library, Alexandria not only represented the curatorial aspects of the library but also that of a place where scholars could meet, research and produce further information and knowledge. This information and knowledge was recorded in the physical form of manuscripts.