Feature The Death of the Library? Throughout the centuries countless libraries and carefully curated book collections have been dispersed, destroyed or lost. Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen | Published in History Today Volume 71 Issue 11 November 2021 ‘A Scene in a Library’, c. 1844, William Henry Fox Talbot. Metropolitan Museum of Art. To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive. Buy Online Access Buy Print & Archive Subscription If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in. Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.