What is PDA (Patron-Driven Acquisitions) or DDA (Demand-Driven Acquisition?

What is Inter-Library Loan?

What is Library Special Collections?

What is Knowledge Organization?

Was Saint Lawrence a Librarian?

 

There is a legend that Saint Lawrence was a librarian, but no historical evidence supports this claim. Saint Lawrence, also known as Laurence of Rome, was a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century AD. He was one of the seven deacons of the Church of Rome, known for his charity and compassion toward the poor.

The legend that Saint Lawrence was a librarian is based on a story that he was responsible for preserving the manuscripts and books of the Church during a period of persecution. According to the legend, when the Roman Emperor Valerian ordered that all Christian clergy be put to death, Saint Lawrence hid the Church's treasures securely to protect them from destruction. However, when he was captured and tortured by the Roman authorities, he refused to reveal the location of the prizes, and he was ultimately martyred for his faith.

While the story of Saint Lawrence's role as a librarian is famous, it needs to be supported by historical evidence. However, Saint Lawrence is still celebrated by many librarians and archivists today as the patron saint of libraries, archivists, and librarians.

The Catholic Encyclopedia has an entry on Saint Lawrence that includes information about his life and legend: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09089b.htm

The Atlas Obscura website has an article about the legend of Saint Lawrence as a librarian: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-library-saint

The American Library Association (ALA) website has a page about Saint Lawrence as the patron saint of libraries: https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/library-champions/patron-saint-libraries

The National Library of Spain has a page about Saint Lawrence and his connection to libraries: https://www.bne.es/en/Cultura/nuestras-bibliotecas/san-lorenzo.html

Was Eratosthenes a librarian?

 

Eratosthenes was a librarian and a Greek mathematician, geographer, and astronomer. He was born in Cyrene (in present-day Libya) in 276 BC and served as the chief librarian at the Library of Alexandria in Egypt in the third century BC. The Library of Alexandria was one of the most famous libraries in the ancient world, and it played a crucial role in developing Greek and Roman scholarship.

As a chief librarian, Eratosthenes collected, organized, and preserved the library's vast collection of books and documents. He was also a scholar in his own right and made significant contributions to mathematics, geography, and astronomy. Eratosthenes is best known for his measurement of the Earth's circumference, which he accomplished using a method involving the angle of the sun's rays at different locations. He also developed the concept of latitude and longitude and created a world map based on his extensive geography knowledge.

Eratosthenes' work as a librarian and scholar had a lasting impact on science and scholarship, and he is remembered as one of the greatest thinkers of the ancient world.

The Library of Alexandria website has a section on the history of the library, including information about Eratosthenes' role as a chief librarian: http://www.bibalex.org/en/Library/History

The Encyclopædia Britannica website has a biography of Eratosthenes that includes information about his work as a librarian and scholar: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eratosthenes

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy website has an entry on Eratosthenes that includes information about his contributions to mathematics, geography, and astronomy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/eratosthenes/

The Ancient History Encyclopedia website has an article about Eratosthenes' measurement of the Earth's circumference: https://www.ancient.eu/Eratosthenes/

Melvil Dewey was a racist librarian?

 Melvil Dewey: His Contributions to Library Science and Controversial Legacy

Melvil Dewey (1851-1931) was an American librarian and educator known for his significant contributions to the development of modern library science. Born in Adams Center, New York, Dewey grew up on a farm and attended the State Normal School in Albany. After teaching in a rural school in New York for several years, he was hired as the librarian of the newly established Amherst College Library in Massachusetts in 1876.

While at Amherst, Dewey developed the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system, which is still widely used in libraries today. The DDC is a system of organizing books and other materials by subject, using a set of numbers and decimals to indicate different levels of specificity. This system revolutionized library organization and made it easier for patrons to find the needed materials.

In addition to his work on the DDC, Dewey founded the American Library Association (ALA) in 1876 and served as its first secretary. He became the director of the New York State Library and the head of the library school at Columbia University. He strongly advocated for library education and helped establish several library schools throughout the United States.

Dewey was also involved in several other fields, including spelling reform and metrication. He believed spelling should be simplified to make learning and promoting international communication more accessible. As a result, he created the Dewey Spelling Alphabet, which used letters to represent different sounds in English. Dewey was also a strong advocate for the metric system and served as the first president of the American Metric Association.

Melvil Dewey's legacy in the field of library science has been tarnished by his controversial personal life. He was accused of sexual harassment and discrimination against women as director of the New York State Library and head of the library school at Columbia University. Additionally, Dewey was known to have espoused racist and anti-Semitic views, and he promoted eugenics and forced sterilization of individuals deemed "unfit" to reproduce.

The controversy surrounding Dewey's personal life has led to calls to remove his name from libraries and other institutions that bear it. In recent years, efforts have been made to rename the Melvil Dewey Library at SUNY Plattsburgh and the Melvil Dewey Medal, awarded by the ALA. These efforts are part of a broader movement to reassess the legacies of historical figures accused of misconduct or held controversial views.

Here are some links that provide more information about the controversies surrounding Melvil Dewey:

The New York Times published an article in 2019 about efforts to rename the Melvil Dewey Library at SUNY Plattsburgh: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/21/nyregion/suny-plattsburgh-melvil-dewey.html.

The ALA website has a page about the Melvil Dewey Medal and its history: https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/content/melvil-dewey-medal.

The Washington Post published an article in 2019 about Melvil Dewey's legacy and the controversy surrounding his name: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/12/07/melvil-dewey-invented-decimal-system-cataloging-books-he-was-also-library-pervert/

The American Libraries Magazine website has an article about the controversy surrounding Melvil Dewey and the call to rename the

 Melvil Dewey Medal: https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/ala-to-consider-renaming-melvil-dewey-medal/

The Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) website has a brief biography of Melvil Dewey, including his work on the Dewey Decimal Classification system: https://www.oclc.org/en/about/dewey.html.

The Library of Congress website has a page about Melvil Dewey, which includes information about his role in founding the American Library Association: https://www.loc.gov/aba/cataloging/classification/dewey/melvil-dewey.html.

The American Library Association website has a page about Melvil Dewey, which includes information about his contributions to library education: https://www.ala.org/aboutala/melvil-dewey.

The Dewey Decimal Classification website has a section on the system's history, including information about Melvil Dewey's role in its development: https://www.oclc.org/en/dewey/features/history.html.