History of American Libraries, with Wayne Wiegand
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History of American Libraries, with Wayne Wiegand
Circulation Status
The history of American libraries is often told as a straight line from Ben Franklin lending his books to his buddies to Melvil Dewey classifying everything so it's easy to find to today's gleaming Palaces for the People, but as most things in history, the real timeline is messier with people and events we don't want to talk about tucked away in the closet under some old mothball-smelling blankets.
Wayne Wiegand is the Marie Kondo we metaphorically need, shining a flashlight into those dark closet corners and airing out the old blankets of the past for all to see. For many decades, he has been writing definitive histories of libraries of all types, though as you'll hear in this interview, he would love to see historians today pose their own questions to the past to further expose historical truths.
-Steve
CI225 Show Notes
In Circulating Ideas, Episode 225, I chatted with library historian Wayne Wiegand about how he came to the library profession, how to view historical figures and actions honestly (warts and all), the history of American libraries, the life and times of Melvil Dewey, and the vital places coffee and cats hold in American library history.
Wayne Wiegand discusses his current research project -- a history of the American public-school library. This project incorporated five perspectives: the history of public-school education, the history of American librarianship, the social history of reading (including the history of print culture), the history of childhood, and the history of cultural institutions as places. The biblical passage in the title -- quoted by a famous school library leader in a 1979 article -- expresses school librarianship's decades-old frustration at being positioned between the education and library professions and having its obvious contributions frequently overlooked and undervalued by both.
Part of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library | Library of Congress
The public library is a "part of our lives," argues a new book on the history of American libraries as told through the testimonies of those who use them. Library historian Wayne A. Wiegand makes the case for why the library has survived and flourished in the 21st century, "despite dire predictions in the late 20th century that public libraries would not survive the turn of the millennium."
American Library History
American Library History: A Comprehensive Guide to the Literature
This is a bibliography on the history of libraries in the U.S. from the Library History Round Table of the American Library Association.
A History of US Public Libraries
This Digital Public Library of America exhibition tells the story of the American public library system, its community impact, and the librarians who made it possible—from the founding of the first US libraries through the first one hundred years of service.
A History of the American Public Library
A visual exploration of how a critical piece of social infrastructure came to be.
The history and development of libraries in American higher education
The history and development of libraries in American higher education
From 'Polite Learning' to 'Useful Knowledge'
'Manners makyth man...' but as the 19th century dawned; English intellectuals became increasingly concerned with expanding education and 'useful knowledge' down to the lower orders.
Established in 1848 by an act of the Great and General Court of Massachusetts, the Boston Public Library (BPL) was the first large free municipal library in the United States.
How Andrew Carnegie Built the Architecture of American Literacy
The philanthropist covered the U.S. in libraries between 1893 and 1919. How many survive—and the forms they've taken—points to what kind of structures make a city center.
Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey by Wayne A. Wiegand
Wiegand's definitive biography of Melvil Dewey.
We Need to Talk About Melvil Dewey
Introduction to the Dewey Decimal System, Melvil Dewey, and issues in cataloging and organizing books.
Saints, Sinners and Reformers The Burned-Over District Re-Visited by John H. Martin
"Just as a forest fire can sweep all before it, the religious and reforming urges swept their way across the Ontario Plain between Albany and Lake Erie, changing the religious and social approaches to life."
Classified Illustrated Catalog of the Library Bureau: A Handbook of Library Fittings and Supplies
Library Bureau Steel has been the worldwide leader in library shelving and furnishings since 1876, when Melvil Dewey founded the company.
An Active Instrument for Propaganda: The American Public Library During World War I
"This study effectively addresses the question: What was the involvement of the American public library community in The Great War?"
The Hidden History of Libraries and Civil Rights
Most of us think about Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat or Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington when we think about the civil rights movement. Lesser known is the issue of library segregation, and the profound lengths that college-aged students went to in order to integrate them.
A History of Racism in American Public Libraries
A deep dive into the history of racism in American public libraries, including the effects of Jim Crow laws and racism in libraries today.
Thomas Fountain Blue (March 6, 1866 – November 10, 1935) was a minister, educator, and civic leader who led the Colored Branches of the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL) and was an early trainer of African-American librarians. Blue was the first African-American to head a public library and his efforts led to the Louisville Free Public Library being nationally recognized as a leader in segregated library administration and education for African Americans.
American Public School Librarianship
Wiegand recounts the unseen history of both school libraries and their librarians.
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was a cornerstone of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty” (McLaughlin, 1975). ESEA is an extensive statute that funds primary and secondary education, emphasizing high standards and accountability.
"Here We Go Again": Censoring Public and School Libraries
"As a library historian, I can only say: 'Here we go again.' These kinds of [censorship] efforts are a common thread throughout the history of the American public and public school libraries."
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