Despite the chronological separation between the medieval period and our own time, certain aspects of modern libraries are visible in the libraries of the middle ages. This poster presentation explores how medieval libraries were innovative within their own historical context and how these medieval innovations have contributed to modern libraries. It discusses how medieval libraries represent a well-documented turning point for library institutions compared to the libraries of the ancient world and it describes how medieval libraries served communities of users. It also provides a detailed account of how medieval libraries organized their collections in order to provide their users with access to information. Throughout these sections, the presentation will include brief but sufficient comparisons to modern libraries. By comparing aspects of medieval libraries to aspects of modern libraries, we will not only see differences, but we can also discern some similarities between the modern library and its medieval counterpart.
