Library History

• Business: Publishing and Printing: Printing: History  (35)
• Society: History  (11,987)

American Women's History, A Research Guide: Librarianship - Bibliography of print and online sources.

Archives of lis-libhist - Mailing list associated with the Library History Group. Searchable logs and subscription information.

Branch Libraries in the Bronx: A History with Selected Photographs - Illustrated history of the New York Public Library branches.

Brief History of Library Instruction in the United States of America - Paper summarizing the development of bibliographic instruction in academic libraries.

Celebrating a Century of Service to Children - Illinois Libraries article examines the history of the Children's Services Department at the Champaign Public Library from 1899-1999.

Celebrating Women's Achievements: Women in Canadian Librarianship and Bibliography - Biographical sketches of pioneers in library work and Canadiana.

CILIP Library History Group - Details of the activities and publications of this section of the Chartered Institute for Library and Information Professionals.

The Davies Project at Princeton University: Research into the History of University Libraries in the United States and the History of their Collections - Database of United States libraries in existence before 1876, searchable by location and type.

Fortunate Son: the ALA and Librarianship 1968-1980 - Memoirs of a period of change in United States libraries and the American Library Association against a background of social upheaval.

The Gerould Statistics 1907/08-1961/62: A Historical Compilation of Data from Academic Libraries in the United States and Canada - Annual statistics on size, staffing and expenditure with detailed notes on the methodology of compilation.

The Histories of Central Vermont's Libraries - Accounts of public libraries in several small towns.

History of Andrew Carnegie and Carnegie Libraries - Biographical material, photographs and details of his benefactions in Pennsylvania.

Illinois State Library: 1818-1870 - Article from Illinois Libraries details the history of the State Library in the 19th Century.

Infography about Library Instruction -- History - Sources recommended by a librarian whose research specialty is the history of library instruction.

The Infography about Public Libraries -- United States -- History - Sources recommended by a professor whose research specialty is the history of U.S. public libraries.

Intellectual Freedom Within the Profession: A Look Back at Freedom of Expression and the Alternative Library Press - Overview by Toni Samek of early radical library publications focusing on Synergy, Alternatives In Print and Prejudices And Antipathies.

International Bibliographic Instruction Activities in the 20th Century: A Literature Review - Literature review examining the development of bibliographic instruction around the world.

Jefferson's Legacy: A Brief History of the Library of Congress - Official guide to the development of its role as a national library, with descriptions of its buildings, a timeline of acquisitions and a list of Librarians of Congress.

Libraries & Culture - Refereed journal devoted to the history of 'collections of recorded knowledge'. Full text of several issues, index and editorial information. Previously the Journal of Library History.

Libraries Today - History of libraries in Canada and particularly Ontario with annotated photographs, texts and biographies of librarians.

Library History - Refereed British journal associated with the Library History Group. Editorial information and abstracts.

The Library History Buff - Historical impressions from an amateur perspective and descriptions of librariana with a special focus on postal artefacts.

Library History Database: The British Isles to 1850 - Directory with summary information arranged geographically and by type of library.

Library Instruction Outside North America in the 20th Century - Site examines international library instruction efforts in the last century. Includes a bibliography.

Melvil Dewey: Father of Librarianship - Biography of Dewey concentrating on his role in library history.

The Mysterious Fate of the Great Library of Alexandria - Analysis of the varying accounts of the library's destruction by fire.

'Not Only Suitable, But Specially Attractive' - Views of women in British librarianship throughout the twentieth century.

The Order of Books - Facsimile of Thomas Jefferson's manuscript prescribing the arrangement of his personal library, later to form the nucleus of a Library of Congress classified according to his scheme.

Over 100 Years of Progress - Chronology of key historical events in United States libraries, from the Association of College and Research Libraries.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Librarian's Lives - Survey of biographical anecdotes about British librarians by Liz Chapman. [PDF]

Santa Cruz County Local History: Libraries and Schools - Illustrated articles on the public library system, Carnegie libraries and schools in Santa Cruz, California.

South Carolina Library History Project - All aspects of librarianship in the state, including histories of public, private and academic institutions, biographies and recollections, and special exhibits.

Survivor: The History of the Library - Article from History Magazine reviewing the evolution of libraries.

Theological Libraries: Historical Sources - Full-text essays on monastic libraries and theological librarianship, principally in the Christian tradition.

Vanished Library: History of the Library of Alexandria - Tells of the myth and history of the ancient Library of Alexandria, and also covers the topics of the mystery of destruction and the new library. Also quiz, personal presentation outline, and sources/links.