biblĭŏthēca (also bī̆blĭŏthēcē, Cic. Fam. 13, 77, 3; Inscr. Grut. 584;
and BYBL-, Inscr. Orell. 40; 41; 1172), ae, f., = βιβλιοθήκη, a library; and, as in Greek and English, both a library-room and a collection of books , Fest. p. 28. The expl. of Isidorus applies to the first signif.: bibliotheca est locus, ubi reponuntur libri, βίβλος enim Graece liber, θήκη repositorium dicitur, Isid. Orig. 15, 5, 5; cf. id. ib. 18, 9, 3; 6, 3, 1. The first public library at Rome was collected by Asinius Pollio A.U.C. 715, B.C. 39, in the atrium of the Temple of Liberty, Plin. 7, 30, 31, § 115; 35, 2, 2, § 10; Isid. Orig. 6, 5, 2; Ov. Tr. 3, 1, 71; Quint. 11, 3, 4. Augustus founded two others, the Octavian, named after his sister Octavia, A.U.C. 721, B.C. 33, near the Theatre of Marcellus, Plut. Vit. Marcell.; Ov. Tr. 3, 1, 60 and 69 Jahn; and five years after, the Palatine (Gr. and Lat.) Library, on the Palatine Hill, in the Temple of Apollo, Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 17; Suet. Aug. 29; Dio, 53, 1; Inscr. Orell. 40 and 41. Besides these there were other considerable libraries in Rome, e. g. in the Temple of Peace, Gell. 16, 8, 2; in the house of Tiberius, id. 13, 19; but esp. one founded by Trajan, id. 11, 17, and united by Diocletian with his Thermis, Vop. Prob. 2. Individuals also possessed large libraries, Cic. Fam. 7, 28, 2; id. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 5; id. Att. 4, 10, 1; id. Div. 2, 3, 8; id. de Or. 1, 44, 195; Quint. 10, 1, 104; 10, 1, 57; Plut. Lucull.; Hor. C. 1, 29, 13; Sen. Tranq. 9; Suet. Aug. 56; esp. at their country-seats, Cic. Fin. 3, 2, 7; Mart. 7, 17; Plin. Ep. 3, 7, 8 al.—The books were arranged in cases or on shelves along the walls (armaria, foruli, loculamenta, capsae).— The librarian , or person who had the charge of the books, was called a bibliothecā , Inscr. Orell. 40 and 41, or bibliothecarius , v. Dict. of Antiq.