Special Libraries, Their Supporting Institutions, And Metropolitan Problems

Woods, Bill M.

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/1525 Copy

Description

Title

Special Libraries, Their Supporting Institutions, And Metropolitan Problems

Author(s)

Woods, Bill M.

Issue Date

1965

Keyword(s)

Libraries and metropolitan areas

Abstract

"ot long ago Ervin J. Gaines* took Ralph Blasingame^ to task over an implicit assumption in an article he had written, an assumption which made everything seem so simple: that reading is vital to life, and if the idea were projected further, that libraries are vital to reading. Gaines went on, ""True, it may be vital to the middle class, but is it vital to a migrant farm worker?' Many persons and groups in our twentieth century society see little need for easy access to organized collections of books. Few citizens, though, would argue against libraries unless they are compelled to place them in priority with other public services such as highways, police protection, schools, or sewage treatment. Government officials and school and college administrators, too, are unpredictable as to their reaction to libraries. What then of the Special Library, that poorly defined type of library which came into being without the security of citizen education and service? It is heartening to hear of enlightened administrators in corporations, government agencies, hospitals, museums, and similar institutions who understand and appreciate what a library can do for them, or why a library should be considered for their own organization. How often, though, are there reports of special libraries passing out of existence and how rare an occurrence is this in the college, school, and public library world? Not unusual is a letter such as one dated Monday, July 26, 1965: ""Last Friday . . . management informed me that the Research Library was immediately discontinued in connection with drastic reduction of all Research activities."""

Publisher

Graduate School of Library Science. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Series/Report Name or Number

Allerton Park Institute (12th : 1965)

ISSN

0536-4604

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1525

Copyright and License Information

Copyright owned by Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1965.

Owning Collections