The legacy -- The classical heritage -- The Fatimid and Ayyubid legacies -- Mamluk libraries -- Patronage of the Mamluk book -- A palace library? -- The libraries of religious institutions -- The librarians in religious institutions -- Private libraries and endowments -- Book circulation and storage -- Borrowing practices -- The size of libraries -- The size of books -- The physical setting -- The market -- Location and environment -- Dealers and publishers -- Value, prices, and fees -- The Mamluk scribe : background and formation -- Terminology and definition -- Writing and copying -- From oral to written books and back -- Books from the barracks -- The Mamluk master calligraphers -- The art and practice of calligraphy -- Teaching writing and calligraphy -- The social and cultural contexts -- Calligraphers and craftsmen -- Calligraphers and the aristocracy -- The chain of Mamluk calligraphers -- The Syrian school -- The Egyptian school.