The library of Alexandria was a salaried scholarly academy, not a public library

Evidence

The library of Alexandria was first and foremost a scholarly academy: the rapidly developing collection of texts was essentially their research archive. Scholars who agreed to join the community in Egypt received benefits few academics could even dream of: a lifetime appointment, with a handsome salary, exemption from tax and free food and lodging. — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 55

Categorization

• DEFINE: Clarifies what ‘the library of Alexandria’ actually was — a research academy rather than a lending institution
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 55