Evolution of Libraries Presentation by Brenda Lower LI

Evolution of Libraries Presentation by Brenda Lower LI 802 XU

Ancient Libraries • • • Library of Alexandria Personal Libraries of the wealthy Monastic Libraries Primitive Government libraries Many times, library materials were confiscated from the owners.

Urgent News! Then, one invention changed everything. The printing press allowed authoritative versions, more titles and copies, more subjects, better organization of materials, and stimulated literacy. (Rubin, 271 -273)

Early American Libraries • Few College Libraries • Social Libraries – Proprietary Libraries – Subscription Libraries • Circulating Libraries • Personal and Specialized Libraries • These earlier types of libraries lead to the types of libraries that we see today.

Now, in our day, what makes a library?

Now, in our day, what makes a library?

Now, in our day, what makes a library?

Now, in our day, what makes a library? What do all of these have in common? • A desire to provide information to those who need it.

Now, in our day, what makes a library? • Libraries reflect the needs of the society, as seen through history. As the literacy rate of the people has grown, libraries are more and more important. • Libraries organize themselves to meet the needs of the people: travelling to meet them, mailing packages, borrowing from other systems, getting materials in foreign languages, etc. • There as many different libraries as there are communities!

What makes a librarian? • What does all this diversity mean to us, as students of information and library sciences?

Oh, If! By William Fitch Smyth (1910) If I were made Librarian I’d bear me like a king. I’d sit with folded arms and scowl; I’d never do a thing! But if some visitor should dare To ask me for a book, I’d thunder: “To the dungeon, knave!” And crush him with a look. And should some reader seek for aid, I’d shout: “See here, my man! I’d have you understand that I Am now LIBRARIAN! Down on your knees, false villain, down!” I’d roar in rabid rage. But oh, I’m not Librarian! I’m just a student page.

What makes a librarian? • We need to respect and even encourage diversity. • Utah (and everywhere else in the world!) has many refuge groups and many different ethnic groups. We need to decide how we can best serve them. • We need to realize that people come with different lenses, paradigms, goals.

Serving the Many Things Librarians can do to Help Programs- Ethnic celebrations, English as a second language classes, Basic Skills classes, partnering with refuge groups Collection- materials in other languages, materials for learning languages, easy readers, Personally- equal service to all, regardless of race, ethnic background

Groups not to forget! Children and Teens! The more mature crowd Poor/homeless Male/Female College Students or grade school! Computer whiz! And the one that needs a little more help on the computer. • List goes on and on…. • They all just want access to information… • • •

Libraries Encourage Cultural Diversity!

References • BBC News. (2009). Old Phone Box Converted to “World’s Smallest Library”. BBC News, November 23, 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2010 from http: //news. bbc. co. uk/local/somerset/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_cu lture/newsid_8373000/8373906. stm • Krasner-Khait , Barbara. (2001). Survivor: The History of the Library. History Magazine, October/November 2001. Retrieved April 23, 2010 from http: //www. history-magazine. com/libraries. html • Rubin, Richard E. (2004). Foundations of Library and Information Science (2 nd ed. ). New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. • Ruurs, Margriet. (2005). My Librarian is a Camel: How Books are Brought to Children Around the World. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, Inc. • Salt Lake City Public Library Website. (2003) Salt Lake City Public Library: Locations and Hours. Retrieved April 23, 2010, from http: //www. slcpl. lib. ut. us/details. jsp? parent_id=8&page_id=8 • Smyth, William Fitch. (1974) Little Lyrics for Librarians. Storrs, Conn. : University of Connecticut Library.