Slideshow for an introductory presentation on the history of libraries and librarianship

1. LIS 2012
Douglas Davidson
History of Libraries, Part 1

2. • Papyrus, a reed, used for early “paper”
• In areas where unavailable (Europe), parchment eventually
became the norm.
• The codex (what we now call a “book”) has bound leaves, first of
wood for legal documents and later of parchment.
• Became popular for Christian scriptures; were more portable,
durable, and more easily handled.
Scroll to Codex

3. • Invented by Johannes Gutenberg ca. 1440
• Had moveable type
• Much slower than today’s processes but much faster
than hand-writing
• Preceded by automated paper manufacture
• Fundamentally changed accessibility of books and
attitudes toward books
The Printing Press

4. • Father of Modern Libraries
• Created decimal classification system, published in
1876
• Co-founded the American Library Association
• Created School of Library Economy at Columbia
College in 1884; the school opened with three men
and 17 women
• Later moved the school to Albany as the New York
State Library School
Melvil Dewey

5. • You’ve probably heard of a “Carnegie Library”
• Created United States Steel Corporation in 1901
• Became richest man in the world
• Philanthropist who created almost 3,000 libraries in the
United States and abroad, including oldest library in
Washington, D.C.
• Built the libraries but required local funding and
maintenance
• Largely spearheaded the institution of the public library
in the United States
Andrew Carnegie

6. • Mary Titcomb is credited with the first mobile library, a horse-drawn
carriage, in Maryland in 1905 (although traveling libraries did exist before
this).
• First became motorized in 1912.
• Introduced a Model T truck bookmobile in 1924.
• The Library Services Act of 1956 focused on rural library development,
resulting in many new bookmobiles.
• Bookmobiles continue today, built compactly in buses and serving under-
served populations.
Mobile Libraries