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A Chronology of Librarianship, 1960–2000 by Jeffrey M. Wilhite Review by: Ramirose Attebury Libraries & the Cultural Record, Vol. 45, No. 4 (2010), pp. 496-497 Published by: University of Texas Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25750368 . Accessed: 12/06/2014 22:18 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . University of Texas Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Libraries &the Cultural Record. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 195.78.108.60 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 22:18:06 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

A Chronology of Librarianship, 1960–2000by Jeffrey M. Wilhite

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Page 1: A Chronology of Librarianship, 1960–2000by Jeffrey M. Wilhite

A Chronology of Librarianship, 1960–2000 by Jeffrey M. WilhiteReview by: Ramirose AtteburyLibraries & the Cultural Record, Vol. 45, No. 4 (2010), pp. 496-497Published by: University of Texas PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25750368 .

Accessed: 12/06/2014 22:18

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

University of Texas Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Libraries&the Cultural Record.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.60 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 22:18:06 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Page 2: A Chronology of Librarianship, 1960–2000by Jeffrey M. Wilhite

Book Reviews

A Chronology of Librarianship, 1960-2000. By Jeffrey M. Wilhite. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2009. 278 pp. $75.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-8108-5255-6.

Whether seeking to understand broad themes in the history of librarianship or hunting for out-of-the-ordinary trivia tidbits, readers will find an abundance

of information packed into this chronology of the profession. This book begins where Josephine Metcalfe Smith's A Chronology of Librarianship ended and, ac

cording to the acknowledgments, had her blessing in its undertaking. Aside from a short preface and introduction by the author, the entire text of the

book takes the form of a list, with short sentences providing information not

just about library-related events but also about the technological and cultural

milieus in which they took place. The amount of information devoted to each year remains consistent through

out the book, as do the headings used to help organize it. Eight major divisions

categorize the content of every year, with subheadings and international geo

graphical headings included as needed. Adding context to the subsequent information, the category of "Contemporary Events" begins each year, and, as

befits a chronology on librarianship, the first piece of information is always the tide of the year's best seller for fiction and nonfiction. Ensuing events include

major U.S. and international news highlights, while the second major heading,

"Technology," frequendy has subheadings to separate national technological events from ALA-specific items. A shorter subsection on state and local tech

nologies rounds out this division.

The major categories continue with "Figures," where statistical and funding information can be found. It is this section that routinely provides information on salaries and grant allocations. The most diverse division, and the one with

the most subdivisions, is that of "Librariana." Beginning with national and state/ local tidbits, the section continues with many library firsts in the areas of SLIS

programs, publications/publishers, and censorship. The final subsection of mis

cellaneous facts is appropriately named "Tidbits."

While the ALA has its own subheading related to technology, it also has earned its own major heading. Here readers will find membership numbers

and conference locations and attendance in addition to award distributions

and division and round table changes. Typically containing less information

than the others, the sixth section provides readers with noteworthy highlights about the Library of Congress. Related but generally broader in scope, the

"U.S. Government" section helps readers understand what impact the presi dent, Congress, the Government Printing Office, and the courts have had on

libraries nationwide.

Finally, major international events are included under the eighth major

heading, which focuses on the International Federation of Library Associations

Libraries & the Cultural Record, Vol. 45, No. 4, 2010 ?2010 by the University of Texas Press, P.O. Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.60 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 22:18:06 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Page 3: A Chronology of Librarianship, 1960–2000by Jeffrey M. Wilhite

497

and Institutions/United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organi zation (IFLA/UN). Although the main focus of the book is the United States, additional headings are provided for each of the world's populated continents. The most commonly included piece of information is the establishment of na tional associations.

Notwithstanding the author's admission that there might be errors in this

book, the quality of work found in the chronology is high. Five years of research went into its creation, and a respectable bibliography confirms the range of this research. In addition, each entry in the book is accompanied by a source, which

increases the reliability and usefulness of the book considerably. As the author

points out in the preface, any errors in the work likely stem from inaccuracies in

these original sources, and when discrepancies were apparent, the author con

sulted numerous sources to try and identify correct information.

The only critique that might be made about the work is the sometimes

seemingly random nature of information included. While some pieces of infor

mation appear consistently from year to year, including Newbery and Caldecott

winners, others seem to be included by chance because the author came across

a reference somewhere. The only indication given of how items came to be se

lected for inclusion is the author's statement that the "book will attempt to cover

the panoply of library subjects that fall within this era" (xi). Given the assortment of information provided, in addition to the subject

headings previously mentioned, one of the most useful features of this book is the index. Included are names of prominent individuals, titles of library publica tions (including the Journal of Library History and Libraries & Culture, both former titles of Libraries & the Cultural Record), well-known associations, significant leg islation, and technological advances. Alongside these library-related entries are

well-known cultural references like Barney the Dinosaur and Monica Lewinsky. The strength of this book lies in the author's effort to bring together in one

place historical information from a vast array of sources and dates. All of the

information in the book can be found elsewhere, but the time and energy saved

by turning to this one source far exceed the cost of the work itself. As a ready reference material for anyone interested in library history, the book meets ex

pectations. As a source of general information on major events in U.S. library history, the book likewise does the same. In addition to LIS students, new mem

bers of the profession, and library historians, anyone who wants to gain a greater

understanding of the profession of librarianship would do well to gain access to this book.

Ramirose Attebury, University of Idaho

The Library: An Illustrated History. By Stuart A. P. Murray. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2009. 310 pp. $35.00 (cloth). ISBN-13: 978-0-8389-0991-1.

There are numerous general histories of libraries, both scholarly and popu lar; most of these include at least a few illustrations. But there is apparently no

illustrated history of libraries in English aimed at the general reader. This book, by former journalist Stuart A. P. Murray, attempts to fill that void.

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.60 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 22:18:06 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions