In 529 AD, Benedict, who came from a noble family, established a monastery in the Cassino Mountain in northwest Rome and collected theological books. He made strict Benedictine laws, which involved the reading of monks. This law later became the general statute of Latin churches and monasteries. In the 8th century, Cassino Monastery collected many manuscripts of precious books and became an academic center. Benedict's contemporary politician and writer F.M.A Caderousse established an animal monastery in southern Italy. He was the first person to emphasize the importance of secular literature to Christians and the first person to set up a copy room in a monastery. The monastery library has a collection of books on various subjects.
At the beginning of the Middle Ages, Irish monks full of asceticism and enthusiasm for knowledge played a great role in the establishment of monasteries in continental Europe. With their initiative and help, Bobbio Abbey in Italy, St Gallen Abbey in Switzerland, Wü rzburg Abbey in Germany and so on were established, and all these monasteries collected books. British monks also carried many British pocket manuscripts to the European continent to preach and establish monasteries. Bishop isidore, a Spanish scholar in the 7th century, is an enthusiastic bibliophile. He edited an encyclopedic work, Etymology, in which a special chapter describes libraries, librarians and their tasks.
History of Western Libraries
Medieval books are generally sheepskin books. The library is very strict about borrowing books, because the increase of books can only be achieved by copying, and books are expensive. Libraries often nail books to shelves or desks. The book catalogue is similar to the property register, which is relatively simple.