Describe the historical foundations of library and information science professions.
Artifact--a single Journal Entry for LIS 701-Introduction to Library and Information Science, beginning with the journal entry prompt, which was one of several choices for this particular week:
Entry 2- Reflect on Rubin's discussion of the history of the Boston Public Library.
The founding of the Boston Public Library came as part of the new mission that libraries were embracing in the United States. One of the founding principles of the United States was a great emphasis on the equality of all people, and empowering them, rather than the populace serving a powerful few people, like monarchs. The Industrial Revolution also contributed to the development of the new missions of libraries in the United States. Social libraries were developed as a means for self-improvement for those who found more leisure time in the midst of changing work environments. The companies that grew during this time had special interests that fostered the development of libraries with collections tailored to their specific interests. Academic libraries arose from the increased emphasis on scientific disciplines in colleges.
Social and circulating libraries were limited in executing their purposes, but nevertheless had an important impact. As Rubin writes, “Both of these libraries contributed to the development of the modern public library and its very special mission—to serve the public” (p. 54). Yet there were very few libraries in the 19th Century that were supported by public funds, the concrete definition of the public library.
Boston’s urbanization helped make it a good place to launch the new concept of a public library. Many city services like public works, fire, and police departments, became commonplace as cities developed and “when the issue of a public library was first raised, many perceived it from an administrative point of view as a logical extension of city services” (p. 55). Indeed, the Boston Public Library came to be place that provided books to the common person, and even contributed to the non-formal education they received, which is still an important part of libraries’ role in communities today.
I see some merit in the arguments of Michael Harris (1973), who claims the library was a way for upper-class citizens to control those in lower classes. The more wealthy and affluent people in society were the ones who provided the resources for libraries, and given their perennial suspicion of lower classes of society, they would use their influence to control them. However, such a situation is not that different from other cases where products and services commonly used by the masses come from companies whose leadership comprises the most elite in society, like the companies in modern times that produce movies, or technology like smart phones.
Nevertheless, the people who provided for the creation of library systems in the 19th Century were driven by philanthropic aims, much like Andrew Carnegie donating funds for the construction of library buildings in municipalities all over the nation. Andrew Carnegie himself is a great example of a person who was capable of philanthropic actions, but displayed his flaws in the way he treated the workers at his company. Yet, even despite the dominating part that society’s affluent played in the creation of libraries, the common people themselves could still influence the libraries by their desires, which, upon becoming mainstream, would shape many aspects of libraries, like the building itself and the collections. Circulating libraries became a prominent part of US society because people wanted fiction materials, and these libraries provided them.
Even today, the design of library buildings is influenced by prevailing trends in society. One of the strongest trends is in digital technology, and Paul Sawers’s article on “The Future of Libraries” gives great examples of how libraries are changing their spaces to incorporate increased amounts of technology. Libraries are clearing away stacks of books and re-envisioning the use of the spaces. The Hunt Library at North Carolina’s State University has numerous study rooms and other spaces equipped with technology. BiblioTech in San Antonio is a library that won’t have physicals books, but “e-Books to share, computer terminals, laptops, and tablets” (Sawers). People’s use of technological devices is exploding now, and these examples show the trend of how libraries are bringing in more technology and creating more collaborative spaces so that they can still remain places of learning. So just as the Boston Public Library was created in response to societal trends, today’s libraries shall continue to be shaped by the ways people are accessing and engaging with information.
Explanation Paragraph:
Throughout the semester I was in Introduction to Library and Information Science, which was also my first semester in the program, I encountered numerous opportunities to think about various aspects of library and information science. Out of several choices for a journal entry for this particular week, I opted to write about the history of the Boston Public Library. While I am well aware of the important role libraries play in communities, writing this journal entry was the first opportunity I had to think more deeply about the origins of public libraries. I learned that the Boston Public Library stands as a watershed moment in the history of libraries, when they turned from their purpose of benefiting the more affluent members of society, to benefiting all people.