During the Middle Ages, books were handwritten on parchment and then painstakingly decorated. This meant that they were precious, and as a result, the privilege of owning these expensive books lay in the care of the monasteries. Whilst churches and monasteries are not the same; they are both sacred pillars in the community.
The Church was the core of intellectual life in the middle ages. At this time, the Church was the only real means of attaining a formal education (only the boys, of course). The Church was at the heart of everyday life in the community; it provided eternal salvation, education and served as the government.
Monasteries were buildings in which monks would work, study and live. Therefore, they had an extensive collection of books. Within the Monasteries, the monks would typically copy the books, to add them to their collection. This could be taken place in several places. However, usually, this was conducted in a single large room called the Scriptoria. They lacked heat and artificial light. Therefore, due to the fear of fire consuming their documents, the monks would only work during the daylight hours. This was a long and challenging process. After the scribe’s work was concluded, it was proofread, and titles and notes were included. Depending on the book, it might then be given to an illuminator. They supplied any required illustrations or decorative designs. Finally, the book was bound.
Before the invention of mechanical movable type, books were expensive and not widely available to the public. Papyrus scrolls were the earliest forms of books, replaced in the 6th century by the codex.
The codex (similar to the present-day book form - parchment attached to a spine and covered) was more portable, stronger, and easier to store, which made it a more popular format. It remains so, to this day.
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