Resources for School Librarians - Index

History of School and Other Libraries

General School Library History

• Magic Casements - A survey of school library history from the eighth to the twentieth century. A Ph. D. thesis by Laurel Anne Clyde, James Cook University, 1981. The entire document is available in pdf and other formats as an ePrint
• First School Library? - When was the first school library established? Read the answer from American Libraries Magazine, March, 2011.

School Libraries in the United States

• Fifty Years of Supporting Children's Learning - A History of Public School Libraries and Federal Legislation, 1953 - 2000. This report by Joan S. Michie and Barbara A. Holton contains a great deal of statistical information about school libraries during this period. The report is available as a pdf file.
• When was the First School Library Established? - This questioned is answered by the American Library Association.
• Francis Henne and the Development of School Library Standards - by John Plummer Alston in Library Trends, 2004.
• A History of School Library Programs in Massachusetts- By Kathy Lowe and Donna Guerin.
• School Libraries in 19th Century North Carolina, 1800-1876: - An article by Patrick M. Valentine in North Carolina Libraries, Vol. 68, Spring/Summer, 2010.
• The Development of School Libraries in South Carolina - by Margaret Ehrhardt
• A History of School Libraries in the School District of Greenville County, South Carolina
• A History of School Libraries in Texas - by Janelle Paris for the Texas State Historical Association.
• The Fay School Library History - Southborough, MA
• A Timeline of School Library Standards - by Cawood Cornelius.
• AASL History, 1914 - 1951 - by Patricia Pond, School Library Media Quarterly, Fall, 1976.
• Library Day - a day in 1915 in Tennessee which was dedicated to raising funds for school libraries. It was also observed in Nebraska where it was proclaimed by a state resolution in 1892.
• School Library Month History - by the AASL
• 200 Years of Young Adult Library Services History - by Anthony Bernier et al.

School Libraries in Canada

• History of School Libraries in British Columbia - by Terra Dickson
• Rules for British Columbia School Libraries - Dated 1919.
• A History of the Manitoba School Library Association
• The Sunday School Library Collection - By the McGill University Library Rare Books and Special Collection Division. Books from a 19th century Sunday School.
• Libraries Today - This site which provides information on the history of libraries in Canada has many links to sites for those interested in library history in general.

Library History

• The Dead Germans Project - Biographies of individuals who made a significant contribution to the history of information science.
• A Library Primer - by John Cotten Dana, 3rd. edition, 1903. The primary audience was the public librarian, but there is useful advice for all librarians.
• Otis Hall Robinson - The clever fellow who thought up the idea of putting holes in catalog cards so they could be attached to rods.
• Vatican library opens doors for exhibition of their oldest manuscript- If you like old manuscripts and beautiful libraries, you will enjoy this YouTubevideo.
• The Library History Buff's Top 10 Library History Websites
• Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Printing - List of links to web sites.
• Library History Round Table - Of the American Library Association.
• The Evolution of the Medieval Book - A very attractive site by the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections of Cornell University Library. Note the section on books which could be chained to the wall which is a very useful idea.

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This site is maintained by Linda Bertland, retired school librarian, Philadelphia, PA. Please address any comments, additions, or corrections to info@sldirectory.com.