This week focuses on the history of libraries from the
ancient Near East to the present, from archives and records centers to today’s
amazing libraries, archives, museums, and historical societies. The textbook
takes us on a whirlwind tour of the very first libraries and archives to those
in the medieval and renaissance periods. It then jumps to the United States and
focuses on the mission of libraries. I’m not certain that the two halves of the
chapter go together. They do provide an sense of the evolution of libraries and
the materials that are housed within.
Since I teach entire courses on the history of the book and on the
history of libraries, it’s not fair for me to emphasize one aspect of the
chapter over another.
My overall reaction to the readings is that libraries and
archives haven’t changed all that much over the millennia. They still
collection the knowledge of the world and make it available to those who come
looking. Whether we call the institution library, archive, record center, or
museum, it’s all about making the information and the resources available to
everyone. In the same manner, you as a librarian and information professional
should seek knowledge where you can find it, learn a little about everything.
The MLIS is just the start of a life of learning, of seeking, and of sharing
information and knowledge wherever you can find it. I’ve said before that
librarians should know a little about everything. I think this series of
readings about the history and overall mission of libraries reflects that
drive, to know or collect a little about everything. As we read on semester,
we’ll see that different libraries collect at different depths and breadths,
but that’s for next week. As a mantra, let your curiosity rule, learn, explore,
read, surf, talk, discuss, and share, most of all think and reflect on what
you’ve learned and apply it to the next bit of knowledge.
Want to read more about the library at Alexandria and other libraries in the ancient
world? There’s a new book about these ancient and medieval collections. Try
Stephen Greenblatt The Swerve. The
first three or four chapters talk about a library at Herculaneum and also the Alexandrian
Library. There are other, more scholarly
books such as Lionel Casson’s Ancient
Libraries. Michael Harris wrote a textbook on the history of libraries from
which Dr. Rubin cites many examples. These books and many others discuss not
only the libraries but how we know about them.
Now I want to take issue with one of the readings, the one
by Melvil Dewey. The citation at the top
of the page says the article is from 1989, but it was written in 1876 in the
inaugural issue of Library Journal.
You should know that Melvil Dewey died in 1931.
He founded the American Library Association in 1876 and “changed
librarianship from a vocation to a modern profession.”[1]
There’s a nice biographical sketch of him on OCLC’s website http://www.oclc.org/dewey/resources/biography/
. What I think is most interesting about his speech is that it rings true today
as it did in 1876. Libraries and museums have similar overall missions.
Merging or converging libraries, archives, and museums. They
can connect art, records, and text. A prime example is the website at the
University of Pittsburgh Special Collections where they have linked the Audubon
Bird plates with the accompanying text “Ornithological Biography” (See the link
on the right side of the page) http://digital.library.pitt.edu/a/audubon/
. For the first time, this library
connected the images with the extensive text, all in a digital environment. Scientists,
biologists, historians, environmentalist, and other researchers can study the
two texts together. They were published separately due to British copyright and
deposit laws of the early 1800s; a story for another day perhaps.
This interconnectedness is a perfect example of what the web
can do for scholars. It brings disjunct and discrete collections together into
one virtual place for study. Just like this class, we are all separated by
distance and yet, together in the virtual ‘classroom’.
It is important to consider the evolving nature of libraries,
archives, and museums, and historical societies for that matter. Where do they
all fit within the world of cultural institutions? How will librarians and
information scientists work within these institutions? Most importantly, what
future can we create that keeps us relevant for our patrons? I don’t have the
answers to these weighty questions. I’m not the person who will change the
world of cultural institutions. I’m a person who navigates the sea of
information and makes sense of it. That’s my role as a librarian and
educator. What do you see as your role?
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