Question

Prior to the invention of the printing press, what groups of individuals had the most access to books?

Answer 1

Prior to the invention of the printing press, books were primarily handmade and copied by scribes or monks in monasteries. Therefore, the groups of individuals with the most access to books would have been primarily wealthy elites, religious institutions such as monasteries and universities, and scholars. These groups had the resources, time, and education to commission or create books by hand.