Research Project

I have decided to write about the Byzantine Empire and its libraries, I will start with the move from Rome to the new Capital of the Roman Empire and what libraries came into existence in Constantinople why and where. From there I will be tracking what libraries were held through the centuries till 1453 AD. Were they written in Greek or the formal written language Latin? Did they keep libraries only for theological reasons or did they hold records for other types of knowledge, Mathematics, Medicine, Astronomy etc.

What were the main libraries in different parts of the empire and what were their collections, were they all holding the same information or were they tailored for the region they were in?

Were there outside influences, such as from the Persians or Ottomans? Did they keep other languages in their libraries? How important were the libraries to the community, the church and the governing body of the day?

Who had the privilege to use the library, and who had the authority to censor what was to be kept in them? Was the library similar to the authority the church and state had bonded?

My starting point will be trying to attain information via the internet through Google, then searching authoritative databases through Swinburne library.  I will use the library catalogues (Library Link Victoria) on the internet to find any relevant information on the aspect of the assignment I will be researching. I will also utilise the resources of a reference librarian both remote and in person.

I shall be using Blogger to create my research blog, and I will meet the deadlines of one post per week for the next 6 weeks.

Below is a link to the map of the capital of Byzantium, Constantinople, today Istanbul.