The secret libraries of history, BBC

"After news emerged about an underground reading room in Damascus, Fiona Macdonald discovers the places where writing has been hidden for centuries."

Highlights:

• French sinologist Paul Pelliot in the Library Cave at Dunhuang in 1908 reading the manuscripts (Credit: The Musée Guimet)
•   The Vatican Secret Archives includes Pope Leo X’s 1521 decree excommunicating Martin Luther (Credit: Capitoline Museums, Rome)
• Solomon Schechter recognised the significance of the manuscripts in the Cairo genizah (Credit: Wikipedia)
• Historian Erik Kwakkel discovered “hidden libraries” within Medieval book bindings (Credit: Erik Kwakkel)  ... continue reading the full article

On the same shelf:

• Top 10 secret libraries of all time | American Libraries Magazine
• Tour of New York's Best Secret Libraries - The Daily Beast
• Top 10 secret libraries of all time, The Guardian
• Secret Libraries of New York City | Atlas Obscura
• 11 hidden libraries - Telegraph - The Telegraph