Bing Libraries Quiz – Historic Collections and Book Facts
The Bing Libraries Quiz helps you discover which collections and literary histories you recognize, from the Library of Alexandria and the Library of Congress to the Bodleian, Trinity College Dublin, the British Library and the Vatican. Some libraries are architectural landmarks; others guard rare manuscripts.
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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds
Ancient
The ancient Library of Alexandria was in which present-day country?
Size
Which library is often described as the largest in the world by number of items?
Ireland
Which famous illuminated manuscript is kept at Trinity College Dublin?
Oxford
What is the main research library of the University of Oxford called?
Jefferson
Whose personal collection was bought to rebuild the Library of Congress after British troops burned it in 1814?
Treasures
Which document, signed in 1215, has copies held at the British Library?
Lions
What are the names of the two stone lions outside the New York Public Library?
Vatican
The Vatican Apostolic Library is in which city?
History
Which Ancient Assyrian king built a famous library of clay tablets in Nineveh?
Systems
Which classification system, invented in 1876, arranges books by numbered subjects?
Your score
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Scroll down to see the explanation for each question.
Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions
- Q1: The ancient Library of Alexandria was in which present-day country?
Answer: Egypt
It was founded under the Ptolemies in the 3rd century BC. A modern library, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, opened there in 2002.
- Q2: Which library is often described as the largest in the world by number of items?
Answer: The Library of Congress
The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., holds more than 170 million items. It was founded in 1800.
- Q3: Which famous illuminated manuscript is kept at Trinity College Dublin?
Answer: The Book of Kells
Monks created the Book of Kells around 800. The college's Long Room is one of the most beautiful library halls.
- Q4: What is the main research library of the University of Oxford called?
Answer: The Bodleian Library
The Bodleian opened in 1602. Its medieval Divinity School appeared as the Hogwarts hospital wing in the Harry Potter films.
- Q5: Whose personal collection was bought to rebuild the Library of Congress after British troops burned it in 1814?
Answer: Thomas Jefferson
Congress bought about 6,500 of Jefferson's books in 1815. Many were later lost in another fire in 1851.
- Q6: Which document, signed in 1215, has copies held at the British Library?
Answer: The Magna Carta
The British Library holds two of the four surviving 1215 copies. It became an independent national library in 1973.
- Q7: What are the names of the two stone lions outside the New York Public Library?
Answer: Patience and Fortitude
Mayor Fiorello La Guardia named them in the 1930s for qualities New Yorkers needed. The main building opened in 1911.
- Q8: The Vatican Apostolic Library is in which city?
Answer: Vatican City
It was formally founded in the 15th century. Its collection includes very old manuscripts of the Bible.
- Q9: Which Ancient Assyrian king built a famous library of clay tablets in Nineveh?
Answer: Ashurbanipal
Thousands of tablets survived because fires baked the clay hard. They include the Epic of Gilgamesh.
- Q10: Which classification system, invented in 1876, arranges books by numbered subjects?
Answer: The Dewey Decimal System
Melvil Dewey created it while working at Amherst College. Many school and public libraries still use it.
Bing Libraries Quiz – Historic Collections and Book Facts
Libraries have protected knowledge for thousands of years. Some are famous for their architecture, others for rare books and manuscripts that cannot be found anywhere else.
Ancient libraries set the pattern. King Ashurbanipal collected clay tablets in Nineveh, including the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the Library of Alexandria in Egypt became a legend of the ancient world. A modern library opened in Alexandria in 2002.
Great national and university libraries hold treasures. The Library of Congress, rebuilt with Thomas Jefferson's books, is often called the largest library in the world. The British Library holds copies of the Magna Carta, Trinity College Dublin displays the Book of Kells and Oxford's Bodleian Library dates back to 1602.
Libraries also have charming details. The New York Public Library's lions are named Patience and Fortitude, the Vatican Library guards ancient Bible manuscripts and Melvil Dewey's system still organizes shelves in many libraries. Today, most libraries also lend e-books and offer free internet access.
Ten questions, three options each and 150 seconds on the clock: that is the challenge of the Bing Libraries Quiz. Read every question carefully, because some answers are designed to look right at first glance. The explanation after each answer shows the reasoning, and you can play again to improve your score. Many players find that the second attempt goes much better, because the explanations help the facts stick. Share the quiz with a friend and compare your results.
Play the quiz and see which historic collections you recognize.
What This Quiz Teaches
- Ancient libraries
- National libraries
- University libraries
- Famous manuscripts
- Library landmarks
- How libraries organize books
Quick Facts
- Public libraries became common in the 19th century.
- Andrew Carnegie funded more than 2,500 libraries.
- Some libraries lend tools and musical instruments.
- Rare books are often kept in climate-controlled rooms.
- Library cards are usually free.
- Many libraries offer digital books.
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