{"680695":{"#nid":"680695","#data":{"type":"news","title":" From Ancient Emperors to Modern Presidents, Leaders Have Used Libraries to Cement Their Legacies","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere in Atlanta, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov\/\u0022\u003EJimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum\u003C\/a\u003E has been part of my daily life for years. Parks and trails surrounding the center connect my neighborhood to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park downtown and everything in between.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of December 2024, thousands of people walked to the library to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wabe.org\/as-jimmy-carter-lies-in-repose-mourners-keep-coming-well-after-dark\/\u0022\u003Epay their respects to the former president\u003C\/a\u003E as he lay in repose. The cold, snow and darkness of the evening were a stark contrast to the warmth of the volunteers who welcomed us in. Our visit spiraled through galleries exhibiting records of Carter\u2019s life, achievements and lifelong work promoting democracy around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EU.S. presidents have been building libraries for more than 100 years, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rbhayes.org\/research\/library\/\u0022\u003Estarting with Rutherford B. Hayes\u003C\/a\u003E. But the urge to shape one\u2019s legacy by building a library runs much deeper. As \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arch.gatech.edu\/people\/myrsini-mamoli\u0022\u003Ea scholar of libraries\u003C\/a\u003E in the Greek and Roman world, I was struck by the similarities between presidential \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=-r1nSF0AAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003Eand ancient libraries\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 some of which were explicitly designed to honor deceased sponsors and played a significant role in their cities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETrajan\u2019s Library\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/books.google.com\/books\/about\/Foro_di_Traiano.html?id=k-yfAAAAMAAJ\u0022\u003EUlpian Library\u003C\/a\u003E, a great library in the center of Rome, was founded by Emperor Trajan, who ruled around the turn of the second century C.E. Referenced often by ancient authors, it could have been the first such memorial library.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-right zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A person seen from the back takes a photo of a tall monument with a statue on top, and a domed building in the background.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=237\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=915\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=915\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=915\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1150\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1150\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1150\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ETrajan\u2019s Column now stands at the center of Rome.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.ap.org\/detail\/ITALYARTDAMAGED\/c0deee7b056f482c898f89086a071439\/photo?Query=trajan%27s%20column\u0026amp;mediaType=photo\u0026amp;sortBy=creationdatetime:desc\u0026amp;dateRange=Anytime\u0026amp;totalCount=9\u0026amp;currentItemNo=5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EAP Photo\/Pier Paolo Cito\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, someone visiting Rome can visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/penelope.uchicago.edu\/Thayer\/e\/roman\/texts\/cassius_dio\/68*.html\u0022\u003ETrajan\u2019s Column\u003C\/a\u003E, a roughly 100-foot monument to his military and engineering achievements after conquering Dacia, part of present-day Romania. A frieze spirals from bottom to top of the column, depicting his exploits. The monument now stands on its own. Originally, however, it was nestled in a courtyard between two halls of the Ulpian Library complex.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost of what scholars know about the library\u2019s architecture comes from remains of the west hall, an elongated room almost 80 feet long, whose walls were lined with rectangular niches and framed by a colonnade. The niches were lined with marble and appear to have had doors; this is where the books would have been placed. Writers from the first few centuries C.E. describe the library having \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/penelope.uchicago.edu\/Thayer\/E\/Roman\/Texts\/Gellius\/11*.html\u0022\u003Earchival documents\u003C\/a\u003E about the emperor and the empire, including books made of linen and books \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/penelope.uchicago.edu\/Thayer\/E\/Roman\/Texts\/Historia_Augusta\/Tacitus*.html\u0022\u003Ebound with ivory\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETrajan dedicated the column in 113 C.E. but \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2458\/azu_jaei_v10i1_hoff\u0022\u003Edied four years later\u003C\/a\u003E, before the library was complete. Hadrian, his adoptive son and successor, oversaw the shipment of Trajan\u2019s cremated remains back to Rome, where they were placed in Trajan\u2019s Column. Hadrian \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/books.google.com\/books\/about\/I_Fori_imperiali_e_i_Mercati_di_Traiano.html?id=mppGAQAAIAAJ\u0022\u003Ecompleted the surrounding library complex\u003C\/a\u003E in 128 C.E. and dedicated it with two identical funerary inscriptions to his adopted parents, Trajan and Plotina. Scholars Roberto Egidi and Silvia Orlandi have argued that Trajan\u2019s remains could later have been \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ojs.unito.it\/index.php\/historika\/article\/view\/88\/48\u0022\u003Etransferred from the column into the library hall\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMemorial Model\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEither way, I would argue that Trajan\u2019s decision to have his remains included in the library complex, instead of in an imperial mausoleum, established a model adopted by other officials at a smaller scale. In the eastern side of the Roman empire \u2013 what is now Turkey \u2013 at least two other library-mausoleum buildings have been identified.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/2494235\/Paper_Space_The_Library_of_Nysa_Revisited\u0022\u003Ethe library at Nysa on the Maeander\u003C\/a\u003E, a Hellenistic city named for the nearby river. Under the floor of its entry porch is a sarcophagus with the remains of a man and a woman, possibly the dedicators, that dates to the second century C.E., the time of Hadrian\u2019s reign.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Crumbling stones in a two-story structure with arched niches.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThe ruins of the library at Nysa on the Maeander.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EMyrsini Mamoli\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother is the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/33780591\/R_Heberdey_Vorl%C3%A4ufiger_Bericht_%C3%BCber_die_Ausgrabungen_in_Ephesus_IV_%C3%96Jh_3_1900_Beibl_Sp_83_96\u0022\u003ELibrary of Celsus\u003C\/a\u003E, the most recognizable ancient library today, found in the ancient city of Ephesus. Named after a regional Roman consul and proconsul during the reign of Trajan, the building was founded by Celsus\u2019 son, designed as both a place of learning and a mausoleum.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe library\u2019s ornate, sculpted facade contained life-size female statues, making it an immediately recognizable landmark. Inscriptions identify the statues as the personifications of Celsus\u2019 character, elevating him into a role model: virtue, intelligence, knowledge and wisdom.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUpon entering the room, the funerary character of the library became quite literal. The hall was designed like the Ulpian Library, but a door gave access to a crypt underneath. This held the marble sarcophagus with the remains of Celsus, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.worldhistory.org\/Library_of_Celsus\/\u0022\u003Ethe patron of the library\u003C\/a\u003E. The sarcophagus itself was visible from the hall, if one stood in front of the central apse and looked down through two slits in the podium.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn endowment covered \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/64091244\/Towards_of_a_theory_of_reconstructing_ancient_libraries\u0022\u003Ethe library\u2019s operational expenses\u003C\/a\u003E in ancient times, as well as annual commemorations on Celsus\u2019 birthday, including the wreathing of the busts and statues and the purchasing of additional books.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A statue of a woman in a long dress, set inside a niche in a wall with stone pillars in front of it.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=399\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=399\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=399\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=501\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=501\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=501\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThe life-size statues on the facade of the Library of Celsus.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EMyrsini Mamoli\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EPower and Knowledge\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese two provincial libraries highlight how sponsors hoped to be associated with the virtues a library fosters. Books represent knowledge, and by dedicating a library, one asserted his possession of it. Providing access to learning was an instrument of power on its own.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the handful of memorial libraries, many other ancient Roman public libraries were great cultural centers, including the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.persee.fr\/doc\/mefr_0223-5102_2002_num_114_2_9731\u0022\u003EForum of Peace\u003C\/a\u003E in Rome, dedicated by Emperor Vespasian; the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epub.lib.uoa.gr\/index.php\/aura\/article\/view\/2201\u0022\u003ELibrary of Hadrian\u003C\/a\u003E in Athens; and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/351663664_Side_Gymnasiumu_M_Yapisi_Mimari_Arastirmalar_ve_Arastirmalarin_Sonuclari\u0022\u003Ethe Gymnasium in Side\u003C\/a\u003E, a city in present-day Turkey.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe most magnificent libraries combined access to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.tertullian.org\/fathers\/sidonius_letters_09book9.htm\u0022\u003Emanuscripts and artworks\u003C\/a\u003E with spaces for meetings and lectures. Several had great leisure areas, including landscaped sculptural gardens with elaborate water features and colonnaded walkways. Literary sources and material evidence testify to the treasures that were held there: busts of philosophers, poets and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/penelope.uchicago.edu\/Thayer\/E\/Roman\/Texts\/Historia_Augusta\/Carus_et_al*.html\u0022\u003Eother accomplished literary figures\u003C\/a\u003E; statues of gods, heroes and emperors; treasures confiscated as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lexundria.com\/j_bj\/7.158\/wst\u0022\u003Espoils of war\u003C\/a\u003E and exhibited in Rome.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A diorama seen from above, showing a large building with an open courtyard and sloped roof.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=259\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=259\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=259\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=325\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=325\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=325\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EA model of how Hadrian\u2019s Library may have looked, complete with a landscaped courtyard.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Library_of_Hadrian_(Athens)_-_Model_in_Colosseum_-_2.jpg\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EJoris\/Wikimedia Commons\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca class=\u0022license\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ECC BY-SA\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike the Ulpian Library itself, they continued the long tradition of Hellenistic public libraries, established by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bibalex.org\/hellenisticstudies\/News\/Details.aspx?ID=1005\u0022\u003Emost famous library of antiquity\u003C\/a\u003E: the Library of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/books.google.com\/books\/about\/A_Wonder_of_the_Ancient_World.html?id=q6NsoT1akU4C\u0022\u003EAlexandria\u003C\/a\u003E. Founded and lavishly endowed by the Hellenistic kings of Egypt, the Ptolemies, the building was meant to portray the king as a patron of intellectual activities and a powerful ruler, collecting knowledge from conquered civilizations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn ancient Greece and Rome, anybody who could read had access to public libraries. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ascsa.edu.gr\/uploads\/media\/hesperia\/146551.pdf\u0022\u003ERules of use varied\u003C\/a\u003E: For example, literary sources imply that the Ulpian Library in Rome was a borrowing library, whereas an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/146551\u0022\u003Einscription from the Library of Pantainos\u003C\/a\u003E in Athens explicitly forbid any book to be taken out.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut these buildings were also meant to shape their sponsors\u2019 legacies, portraying them as benevolent and learned. Presidential libraries in the United States today follow the same principle: They become monuments to the former presidents, while giving back to their local communities.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/248423\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/from-ancient-emperors-to-modern-presidents-leaders-have-used-libraries-to-cement-their-legacies-248423\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EU.S. presidents have been building libraries for more than 100 years, starting with Rutherford B. Hayes. But the urge to shape one\u2019s legacy by building a library runs much deeper.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"U.S. presidents have been building libraries for more than 100 years, starting with Rutherford B. Hayes. But the urge to shape one\u2019s legacy by building a library runs much deeper."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-02-24 14:27:10","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:16:11","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-21T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-21T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676374":{"id":"676374","type":"image","title":" The Library of Celsus was a famous landmark in its time \u2013 and today. Myrsini Mamoli","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Library of Celsus was a famous landmark in its time \u2013 and today. Myrsini Mamoli\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1740408271","gmt_created":"2025-02-24 14:44:31","changed":"1740408271","gmt_changed":"2025-02-24 14:44:31","alt":" The Library of Celsus was a famous landmark in its time \u2013 and today. Myrsini Mamoli","file":{"fid":"260152","name":"file-20250221-32-q9yf3m.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/24\/file-20250221-32-q9yf3m.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/24\/file-20250221-32-q9yf3m.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":907607,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/24\/file-20250221-32-q9yf3m.jpg?itok=mzndzQl8"}}},"media_ids":["676374"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/from-ancient-emperors-to-modern-presidents-leaders-have-used-libraries-to-cement-their-legacies-248423","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1221","name":"College of Design"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"48996","name":"School of Architecture"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/myrsini-mamoli-2309727\u0022 rel=\u0022author\u0022\u003EMyrsini Mamoli\u003C\/a\u003E, Lecturer of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}