Libraries decline mainly through neglect and redundancy, not deliberate destruction.

Evidence

What Naudé did not discuss in his writings was the uncomfortable truth of libraries throughout the ages: no society has ever been satisfied with the collections inherited from previous generations. What we will frequently see in this book is not so much the apparently wanton destruction of beautiful artefacts so lamented by previous studies of library history, but neglect and redundancy, as books and collections that represented the values and interests of one generation fail to speak to the one that follows. — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 18

Categorization

• XREF: Sets up the chapter’s central thesis which will recur throughout the book; connects to the reader’s existing interest in why libraries fail to survive across generations. — connects to: Neglect destroyed more ancient libraries than war or malice did — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 58; A rebuilt library destroyed again suffers a doubling of loss — Jamal Awil, The Whispering Archive: The Complete…, 1172
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 18

Broader Connections

• Neglect destroyed more ancient libraries than war or malice did #corroborates (0.75) — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 58