A History of Modern Librarianship

September 15, 2015

This book is the final product of a decades-long project initiated by Richards (deceased) with coeditors Wayne A. Wiegand (emeritus, library & information studies, Florida State Univ.; Part of Our Lives) and Marija Dalbello (information science, Rutgers Univ). The editors provide a historical overview of librarianship in Europe, the United States and Canada, Africa, and Australasia from the late 18th century through the end of the 20th century. Although the introduction details a critical view of the profession, such a stance is not maintained throughout the book. Since the authors intend to provide an overview of Western library traditions, the practices, contributions, and perspectives of indigenous peoples in Africa and Australasia are peripheral, although they are addressed. A follow-up volume that focuses on indigenous peoples, as well as other non-Western regions, would be a valuable complement to this book. The final chapter about digital convergence feels a bit out of place in this volume but it does tie together some of the core tensions used to frame the content. VERDICT Readers looking for a thoughtful and detailed tour of Western library history will find it in this work, which could also serve as a starting point for those seeking a text that grapples with Western librarianship in non-Western regions.--Amanda Folk, Univ. of Pittsburgh Lib., Greensburg

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