The name Pinakes comes from ancient Greek πίνακες (pinakes), meaning "tablets" or "tables". It honors Callimachus of Cyrene (305-240 BC) who around 245 BC created the first systematic library catalog in history for the Library of Alexandria: the Πίνακες τῶν ἐν πάσῃ παιδείᾳ διαλαμψάντων καὶ ὧν συνέγραψαν ("Tablets of those who distinguished themselves in every field of knowledge and their works").
This monumental work, composed of 120 scrolls, systematically organized over 120,000 papyrus scrolls in the library. Although the original Pinakes have been lost, their cataloging method has profoundly influenced modern library science.
This project continues that millenary tradition of 2,268 years bringing the same principles of organization and accessibility of knowledge into the digital age.