| Preface | [v] |
| Contents | [vii] |
| List of illustrations | [ix] |
| 1. | Introduction | [1] |
| 2. | The study of beginnings | [5] |
| 3. | Definition of the Library | [14] |
| 4. | Method | [22] |
| 5. | Antediluvian libraries. General | [25] |
| 6. | Libraries of the gods | [27] |
| 7. | Animal and plant libraries? | [34] |
| 8. | Preadamite libraries | [39] |
| 9. | Adamite and patriarchal libraries before the flood | [42] |
| 10. | Prehistoric and historic libraries | [50] |
| 11. | The evolution of record keeping | [54] |
| 12. | Memory libraries | [65] |
| 13. | Pictorial object libraries | [76] |
| 14. | Mnemonic object libraries | [91] |
| 15. | Picture book libraries | [100] |
| 16. | Ideographic records | [114] |
| 17. | Types of primitive libraries | [116] |
| 18. | Contents of primitive libraries | [132] |
| 19. | The administration of primitive libraries | [142] |
| 20. | The beginnings of library schools | [151] |
| 21. | The beginnings of library research | [156] |
| 22. | Bibliography | [159] |