[Buddha-l] A candid question

[Franz Metcalf]

Stephen et al.,

Yes, I was implying that it was in the British North American colonies 
that the first truly public lending libraries originated. But I've now 
consulted Wikipedia and found that--unsurprisingly--the history of the 
library I was taught in the United States is not the only one. Since 
we're in disclaimer mode, I'll wonder out loud if there might have been 
lending libraries open to the public further removed in time and space 
than Western Europe or North America. I somehow doubt that the various 
sanghas lent manuscripts, but perhaps the enlightened leaders of 
Cordoba? Or Chang-an? Or Alexandria?

Anyway, thanks for the little lesson in jingoism and (Buddhist content) 
attachment,

Franz