As trade and commerce improved, education and research blossomed and so documentation rapidly increased. Archiving records and documents became crucial to maintaining legal institutions and promoting further learning. The first libraries and archives were set up locally, collecting the information pertinent to the surrounding area. The most significant universal archive of information in the ancient world was the Library of Alexandria, which was said to have housed over half a million documents and scrolls. With its vast store of knowledge, it became the centre of education and is recognised as one of the birthplaces of science.
