Chapter 2 Lecture - Missions of Libraries

7/29/2019 Chapter 2 Lecture - Missions of Libraries

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From====Pastto Present=====

The History and Mission of Libraries

Rubin Chapter 2

Week 4

As presented by Andrew RyanSource: http://librarysciencelist.com/how-to-get-a-library-science-degree/


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Centralized Population

This includes smaller locations, like a university

Economic Development

An adequate amount of money and free-time

Political StabilityWar and revolt do not a library make

Source: Harris and Johnson 1984 as quoted by Rubin on page 35


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In order to better understand the currentmissions of libraries, it is helpful to betterunderstand the past. This unit focuses on thedevelopment of libraries in America and theirmissions.

Rubin Page 35


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Early Missions of LibrariesThe invention of writing and rise of commerce around 3000 B.C. can be traced to temples in Sumer,

Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). This lead to the following 9 primary missions of early libraries

1) Maintaining a Records Archive Evidence of early literary pieces, codifications of law, & even schools in Sumerian

temples

Business records, deeds, and collections of hymns and prayers were maintained

First librarians may have been scribes or priests referred to as Masters of the Books

or Keepers of the Tablets

Rubin Pages 35-36


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Early Missions of Libraries

2) Religious & Practical Mission of Egyptian Libraries

Around 2400 B.C., Egyptian temples exhibited the development of early libraries with

records stored on scrolls of papyrus.

Cultural hubs contained information on disease, surgery, and other medical records

Royalty and wealthy individuals had large private collections.

Rubin Page 36 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ancientlibraryalex.jpg


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3) The Mission of Scholarship and Research Assyrian King Arshurbanipal intended to expand library purposes beyond archiving - to

include current references and help educate future generations

Expanded familys private collection into the greatest library of that time period - The Royal

Library at Nineveh

Large array of texts from Sumer and Babylon

Organized and catalogued for easier retrieval and staffed by a librarian

Greek scholars and aristocrats developed private libraries for political and social gain (Jacob 2002). AsAlexander the Great expanded his reach, the Greek values of reading and learning were also spread.

Rubin Pages 37-38


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Rubin Pages 38-39

3) The Mission of Scholarship and Research(cont.)

When Alexander the Great died, General Ptolemy inherited Egypt (Not bad, eh?)

Planned to collect all Greek literature

Used absurd tactics such as confiscating books from cargo ships and copying them

Founded Alexandrian Museum and Library

Notable librarians were employed, including Callimachus

Archimedes, Galen, and other scholars such as Euclid attended this library

Similar to a modern research institution

Archimedes Source:http://natureofmathematics.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/archimedes.jpg


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4) Missions of Personal Status & Public Use: Roman Libraries Libraries were less common in early ages of Rome

After conquering Greece, generals and aristocrats robbed collections of the Greek libraries, forming

their own personal collections and earning bragging rights

Aristocrats would share materials between their libraries

It became more common during the time ofJulius Caesar to consider literature a public property.

Public libraries began to spring up, but were still mostly used by those with wealth or privilege.

Rubin Pages 39-40

In the 1st century A.D., papyrus scrolls were gradually

replaced with parchment codexes (books) by early

Christians due to their ease in transporting!


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5) Maintaining the Scholarly Mission: Byzantine & Moslem Libraries The Eastern Empire kept libraries alive

Imperial Library in Constantinople held about 100,000 items of Latin, Christian, and Greek origin

Moslem Empire valued learning many private libraries

Large university libraries were present in Baghdad, Cairo, and Cordoba

6) Religious Missions: Monastic Libraries of The Middle Ages Christians isolated from the disorder left by the fall of the Roman Empire

Monasteries responsible for archiving and reproducing religious and sometimes secular texts

Copying books was busy-work for monks, and sometimes punishment; some copies suffer in quality

Rubin Pages 40-42

Ofthe Greek classics known today, at least seventy-five percent are known through Byzantine copies.

(Harris and Johnson, 1984)


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7) The Educational Mission of Libraries: Cathedral & University Libraries of the

Late Middle Ages

~800-1200 A.D. saw the return of educational missions

Cathedral libraries encouraged learning

Bologna, Paris, and Oxford became centers for academic learning, distinct from the religious sites

The University of Paris established the first university library in the 1300s

8) The Humanistic Mission & Reemergence of Library for Personal Status

Decline of the church & increase in interest of secular pursuits of knowledge during Renaissance lead

to an increase in private libraries

Princes and popes sponsored great literary figures like Petrach and Boccaccio in growing

their collections and rescuing manuscripts from deteriorating Monasteries.

Rubin Pages 42-44


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9) Promoting National Pride: The Mission of the National Libraries

Nationalism and secular monarchies lead to National Libraries in England, France, Germany,

Denmark, & Scotland during the 17th Century

This number grew in the 18th and 19th centuries

These libraries aimed to preserve cultural heritage

Depository Right

To obtain enormous libraries, some countries passed laws requiring one copy of each book to be

sent to the National Library.

The Library of Congress in America currently holds this right, but is not the official national library.

Rubin Page 44

Library of Congress, Washington DCSource: http://architecture.about.com/od/usa/ig/Washington-DC/Library-of-Congress.htm


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The invention of the printing press in 1454 madebooks widely available and increased the interest inlearning.

Now possible: Exact copies of books

More titles and copies

Greater breadth of subjects

New techniques for organizing and cataloging collectionsdeveloped

Better educated populace

The Divine Art Roman Church view on printing

Rubin Page 45

Early Printing PressSource: https://peabody.harvard.edu/files/Printing-Press_0.jpg


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Libraries in the USA: 6 New MissionsDuring the early 17th and 18th centuries, there were meager amounts of public libraries, a smattering of

private collections, and fledgling college libraries. America was busy finding its feet. There were not

many published books.

Harvard University library had about 5,000 volumes by the middle of the 1700s.

Parish libraries were common due to Thomas Brays teachings in England that urged the formation

of religious libraries.

Rubin Pages 46-47

Changing Tides The 19th

CenturyBy 1876 there were more than 10,000 libraries

Over eighty types

Ran the gamut from hotel reading rooms to YMCA libraries and historical society libraries. (McMullen 2000)


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1) Mission of Self-Improvement: Social Libraries of the 18th Century

Industrial Revolution economic growth wealth leisure time for libraries

Ben Franklin credited with starting first Social Library Junto in 1728

Special interest libraries, such as mechanical or agriculture spread west

Social Libraries became less popular once public libraries became more prominent

Rubin Pages 47-48

Subscription Libraries

Individuals pay fee to use the books

Materials owned by library

Proprietary Libraries

People pay money (like stockholders)

Materials owned by the collective

2 Types of Social Libraries


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2) Mission of Providing Entertainment: The Circulating Library

Satisfy demand for entertainment through rentals

Mostly fiction works

Romance most popular genre

Majority of work by foreign authors

Contemporary libraries share many similarities

First to provide service to women (!), newspapers, and reading areas indoors

Rubin Pages 48-50

3) Mission of Providing Information: The Rise of Special Libraries

Started early during the Industrial Revolution

Primary purpose direct application of recorded information to the practical goals of profit-seeking

business enterprises (Kruzas 1965, p. 109)

Focus not building a collection, but to provide reference to business

Fostered new technology, such as Microfilm, (1920s) and Special Libraries Association in 1909

Pride and Prejudice

Source:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Pickering_-_Greatbatch_-_Jane_Austen_-_Pride_and_Prejudice_-_She_then_told_him_what_Mr._Darcy_had_voluntarily_done_for_Lydia.jpg


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4) Mission to Support Teaching & Research: The American

Academic Library

4 major occurrences that ushered in this new era:

I) Changes in the Curriculum

Late 19th century saw changes in American education styles from one text to multiple

Libraries became more academically involved and necessary

Move away from recitation as a teaching method to laboratories and lectures

Focus on sciences and practical trades instead of the classics

II) Rise of the Research Model

University of Berlin in Germany pushed faculty to be independent researchers America stole this idea

John Hopkins University adapted this research model fully; Harvard, Cornell, and Columbia followed suit.

Teachers conducing research enriched the existing field of knowledge and made libraries more central

Rubin Pages 50-51


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4) Mission to Support Teaching & Research: The American

Academic Library (cont.)

III) Passage of the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862

Government provided 30,000 acres land to states to establish universities that promoted

agriculture and mechanical arts

Ohio State and University of Illinois were founded and emphasized applied sciences and

technology

IV) Professional Education for Librarians

American Library Association (ALA) founded in 1876

First library school formed in 1887

More qualified staff members were now available for all library types

Rubin Pages 51-52


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5) Supporting Primary & Secondary Education: The Mission of the

School Library

Public schools appeared second half of 19th century

Most schools provided only elementary education

1890 more than half of states required school attendance

By 1875, twenty states had passed laws to help fund school library book purchases

Money allocated for books was misused on teacher salaries and there was not enough to maintain

the libraries

In 1915 the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) conducted a survey that determined

there were major problems with the nations school libraries

Rubin Pages 52-53


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School Library (cont.)

A joint committee by the National Education Association (NEA) and ALA, lead by Charles

Certain, lead studies on the school library system.

Conditions were found to be deficient in a 1920 study on high school libraries and a 1925 study

on elementary schools offerings

The committee created a set of national standards and listed the following recommendations:

1)The centrality of materials of instruction, or curricular support

2) A centralized collection as opposed to smaller libraries in each classroom

3) Library instruction as a librarian duty

4) The library should be an integral aspect of school life

Rubin Page 53


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School Library (cont. still)

It was a slow bake, but school library reform did come thanks to these standards and an educational

reform movement.

Philosopher John Dewey and the progressive educational movement spotlighted these new educational

theories: (Fargo 1930)

1) A childs growth and development should be the central focus of the school. Not subject matter.

2) Education should involve children exploring multiple subjects and experiences.

3) Children learn best when exploring subjects that hold their interest.

4) School should be a social experience that teaches kids how to be self-directed.

Rubin Pages 54


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6) The Mission of Serving the Public: The American Public Library

First major public library Boston Public Library in 1854 Michael Harris in 1973 argued the library was created by elites to control what information was available and

further the elite agenda. Interesting!

Major Characteristics Shared by Public Libraries:

Supported by taxes

Governed by a board

Open to all

Voluntary

Established by state law

Provided services without charge

Rubin Pages 54-59

Source: http://www.newportlibraryri.org/npl/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Childrens-Room-Library-Clip-Art.jpg


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6) The Mission of Serving the Public: The American Public Library(cont.)

Distaste for Popular Materials?

Concerns that offering lighter fare would lead to bums and loungers

Arguments over whether to include less educational or quality literature in libraries is an ongoing debate

Is this unnecessary elitism?

Rubin Pages 59-61

Andrew Carnegie donated large sums of money to construct 2,000+ library buildings many public

Stipulated the money was for construction not book purchases

Required recipients to contribute 10 percent of whatever he donated to build collections

Ensured collections would reflect local interest and be locally taxed and controlled

Womens Clubs wereestablished post-Civil War and dedicated to self-education and literacy.

Heavily influenced the development of countless libraries in the late 19th and early 20th century.


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A Mission of Inclusiveness

Libraries were often used by the white and wealthy

Immigrants came to America in full-force in the 19th and 20th centuries

How should we serve them?

They were often overlooked partially due to racism and partially lack of preparation or knowledge

Various organizations advocated for the importance of knowledge and education to all

Librarians attempted to educate on American values and language (assimilation vs. support) The 20th century saw a stronger focus on being more inclusive and providing services and texts for

minorities

Rubin Pages 61-64


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A Mission of Inclusiveness (cont.)

Segregation kept African Americans from many libraries and good services until well into the 20th

century

Around the 1960s, desegregation and integration of African Americans into libraries happened

quicker than with schools

Black activists were more responsible for de-segregation in the south than librarians

Sadly, the ALA and librarians, despite a few heroes, werent very outspoken on the issue (Lets be

better!)

In 1961, the ALA amended its Bill of Rights no individuals should be denied or abridged servic

based on their race, religion, etc.

Various organizations arose to ensure libraries continue to be socially responsible

Rubin Pages 64-68


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Missions of the Future: What May Shape Them?

Attitude Towards the Government Agencies Libraries must prove their importance or funds will be cut

Lack of faith in the government will also lead to less funding

Attitude Towards Education

As faith in public education wanes, so might faith in libraries

Libraries could also be pressured to pick up the slack

Attitude Toward Serving All Segments of Society

Should energy and resources be devoted to bringing new people in?

Or tailored to those who are inclined to use libraries?

Attitude Toward the Importance of Reading

If digital entertainment becomes more important, support may decline

Attitude Toward Literature

Collection and preservation may lose support if popular materials are the main interest of society

Attitude Towards Technology

New technologies alter how information is stored, retrieved, shared, and enjoyed

Rubin Pages 68-70

Largest library in existence from Doctor Who 4x08Source: http://blogs.slj.com/connect-the-pop/2013/05/tv/doctor-who-librarian/


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Libraries must continue to evolve and adapt to thechanging times in order to remain relevant.

Relevancy leads to funding and support, which isessential to success.

While we do not want to lose sight of the original

missions and ideas that libraries were built upon, wealso must continue to offer new ways to help thepopulation find information.

It is our job to ensure the future of our careers.

Documents

Chapter 2 Lecture - Missions of Libraries