Encyclopedia of Library History

by Wayne A. Wiegand, Donald G. Jr. Davis

Overview

First Published in 1994. This book focuses on the historical development of the library as an institution. Its contents assume no single theoretical foundation or philosophical perspective but instead reflect the richly diverse opinions of its many contributors. This text is intended to serve as a reference tool for undergraduate and graduate students interested in library history, for library school educators whose teaching requires knowledge of the historical development of library institutions, services, and user groups, and for practicing library professionals.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781135787578
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	01/28/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	740
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Wayne A. Wiegand is a professor at the School of Library Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Donald G. Davis, Jr. is a professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Texas at Austin.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 10; Chapter 11; Chapter 12; Chapter 13; Chapter 14; Chapter 15; Chapter 16; Chapter 17; Chapter 18; Chapter 19; Chapter 20; Chapter 21; Chapter 22; Chapter 23;

Editorial Reviews

International in scope and covering library history from Babylonian clay tablets to MEDLINE, the articles here range from 200 to 6,000 words. The emphasis is on the historical, but there is much information on libraries in the present day. There is a wonderful article on the history of the concept of alphabetical order, along with interesting entries on the Anglo-American Cataloging Code, subject headings, OCLC, gays and lesbians, gender and racial issues in library history, and USIA libraries. The longer entries tend to be on types of libraries ("Medical Libraries", "Theological Libraries"), library functions ("Reference Services", "Collection Development"), or historical periods ("Medieval Libraries"). There are entries for 60 important libraries around the world, some of which, such as the American Antiquarian Society and the Boston Public Library, are not in the new third edition of the "World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services" ["RBB" Ja 1 94]. All articles are signed by their authors, who represent many different countries, and all conclude with bibliographies. Finding aids in the "Encyclopedia of Library History" include a classified list of articles at the beginning of the book and an index at the end How else does this work differ from the "World Encyclopedia"? Its more than 80 articles on countries of the world are briefer and lack the useful statistics found in the "World Encyclopedia", and it lacks the biographies and photographs found in that volume. While it doesn't entirely take the place of the larger "World Encyclopedia", it does provide some of the same information. It also has some unique entries, such as "Library Literature", "Library Philanthropy", "Library Staffing Patterns", "Library Statistics", and "Library Surveys".

Sandy Whiteley

A comprehensive global and historical reference in 263 alphabetically arranged articles ranging in length from a paragraph to a mini-essay, most followed by a brief bibliography. It offers coverage of prominent libraries, historical periods in library development, library concerns, library organizations, types of libraries, development of library administration and organizational practices, prominent librarians in history, library education, library literature, and other topics. The coverage also traces the historical development of information that libraries have managed, from oral tradition through the invention of the written and printed word, how and why this information was preserved, and how it was used by patrons. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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