For over 600 years, it attracted the ancient world's greatest scholars. In its confines, Euclid mastered geometry, Archimedes struggled with mechanics, Ptolemy constructed his astronomical model, and Herophilus located intelligence within the brain. The library's destruction signaled the onset of the Dark Ages. They developed cataloguing systems, defined disciplines, and produced definitive editions of significant works. Today's interfaces and search engines must support multiple paths to knowledge, but our ultimate goal must still be to seek order from informational chaos.
Information is a global resource .
Alexander built his city at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Asia. His empire was populated by people from across the world. He encouraged intermarriage and respect for all faiths. The library extended these ideals, preserving works from diverse traditions. Modern archives must do the same.