Newsletter of the IFLA Round Table on Library History

No. 14
Summer 2000
ISSN: 1088-1271

RTLH´s program at the 66th IFLA Council and General Conference Jerusalem, Israel, 13-18 August 2000

When you have found the homeside just go to the relevant point on the program at Wednesday 16 August at 8.30 a.m. respectively Thursday 17 August at the same time with the numbers 145 and 174.

145. Library History

Theme: "History of Books and Libraries in the Three Great Religions of the Book, Judaism, Christianity and Islam"

1. The Cairo Genizah: a medieval Mediterranean deposit and a modern Cambridge archive Le Genizah du Caire : un gisement d'archives médiéval au Moyen-Orient et un centre d'archives moderne ā Cambridge
   STEFAN REIF (Cambridge University Library, Cambridge, UK)
2. Logos, biblos, and bibliotheke: Christian influences in library development
   Le Verbe (Logos), la Bible (Biblos) et la Bibliothčque (Bibliothękę) : les influences chrétiennes sur le développement de la bibliothčque
   JOHN MARK TUCKER (Purdue University Libraries, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA)
3. Various attitudes toward books in the medieval Arab culture: hesitation, respect, praise, sanctity JOSEPH SADAN (Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel)

174. Library History in association with the Association of Jewish Libraries, Judaica Librarians Group, and Hebraica Libraries Group: Workshop

Theme: "Historical Threads of Judaica and Hebraica Librarianship"
Session 1: Theme: "How to Find the Jewel in the Crown: Judaica Cataloguing and Classification"

1. The development, revision and use of a classification system for libraries of Judaica
   DAVID ELAZAR (Rishon LeZion, Israel)
2. The importance of leaflets as an historical source and the difficulties in cataloguing them
   MEIRA HARROCH (Jerusalem National and University Library, Jerusalem, Israel)
3. Hebrew Subject Headings at Bar-Ilan University: an update
   GITA HOFFMAN (Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel)

Session 2: Theme: "The Written Word: Manuscripts and Archives"

1. Recent trends in describing Hebrew manuscript collections
   Orientations récentes dans la description des collections de manuscrits hébreux
   ROGER KOHN (Oberlin College, Ohio, USA)
2. Private manuscripts library of an Italian rabbi
   YAEL OKUN (Institute for Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts, Jewish National and University Library, Jerusalem, Israel)
3. The status of libraries in Israeli historical archives
   SILVIA SHENKOLEWSKI KROLL(Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel)

Session 3: Theme: "Who, Where and When? Special Types of Judaica Reference Materials"

1. A look at Rabbinic biographical dictionaries published since 1950
   AVRAHAM GREENBAUM (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel)
2. Who invented the index? An agenda for research on information access features of Hebrew and Latin manuscripts
   BELLA HASS WEINBERG (St. John's University, New York, USA)

Session 4: Theme: "Special Interest Collections"

1. Developing a Jewish genealogy library: the Israel Genealogical Society Library as a case study HARRIET KASOW (Bloomfield Library for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel)
2. Challenges facing the Simonseniana Collection: priorities and strategies for network communication and cooperation
   ULF HAXEN (Royal Library, Copenhagen, Denmark)
3. Judaica Collections/Libraries in the DC area
   ANN MASNIK (University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA)
4. The origins and activities of Casa Shalom -the Institute for Marrano-Anusim Studies
   GLORIA MOUND(Institute for Marrano-Anusim Studies, Israel)

Session 5: Theme: "Bibliographic Milestones: The Old and the New"

1. The Friedberg Genizah project
   TAMAR LEITER (Jewish National and University Library, Jerusalem, Israel)
2. Publishing and the Jewish Ultra-Orthodox
   CHAIM SEYMOUR (Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel)
3. The Hovevei Zion Tribute Album presented to Mosesv Montefiore on his 100th birthday
   BARRY WALFISH (University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada)

Symposium on National Libraries to be Held on Oct. 23-26, 2000

A highlight will be the publication of the hard bound volume, Library History Research in America: Essays Commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Library History Round Table. The publication of this text of the Winter 2000 issue of the journal Libraries & Culture is sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

For information about the conference, contact John Y. Cole, director, Center for the Book, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540, telephone 202-707-5221, fax 202-707-0269, and E-mail: jcole@loc.gov.

John Y. Cole
Center for the Book
Library of Congress

From People's University to People's Library

A tight programme covered aspects of public library history in Britain and Ireland, Scandinavia, Germany, the United States and Canada, Cuba, and South Africa (an expected contribution on India could not be delivered owing to the absence of a speaker). The audience was drawn from most of these areas (and Lithuania!) and discussion was lively and wide-ranging.

Wayne Wiegand gave the keynote address, on the community role of the small public library in 20th-century America, focusing on towns in or around Wisconsin which had continuous records of accessions, and examining both patterns of selection and use and how social structures linked with library use. His presentation of the Gramsci's idea of cultural hegemonies was a theme that other speakers on American libraries returned to. Charley Seavey examined library development in mainly agricultural communities in Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri, relating it to social trends and stressing the role of local initiative in the USA, where national or local government has never been seen as the prime mover. Donald G. Davis spoke about public libraries in Texas, explaining their late development in that state and, again, the role of voluntary provision (largely through women's clubs - including travelling libraries visiting outlying farms), which however needed Carnegie's munificence to give public libraries a kick-start.

Two names came up remarkably often in the papers on continental Europe: Georg Reyer from Vienna and Andreas Schack Steenberg in Denmark, both innovators and publicists for new ideas in public librarianship beyond their own countries. Both too had links with the United States, an angle dealt with particularly by Ole Harbo's paper on American and British influences on Danish public libraries but also by Leif Emerek in his consideration of the origins of the modern public library in Denmark. This was paralleled by Magnus Torstensson's study of the concept of "folkbibliotek" in Sweden, the term "people's library" having strong resonances in the Anglo-American world as well as in Scandinavia and often responding to local needs with voluntary efforts. This stress on local provision was followed up by Niels Windfeld Lund from Tromsø, who reported on the extreme northerly municipality of Senja, with its sparse population and inaccessible townships, with libraries dating from the late 18th century but now developing modern library systems in parallel in different locations. Ilkka Mäkinen explained that in Finland the need to present a strong nation-state had meant less emphasis than in Sweden, say, on voluntary effort and more on government initiative. His account of a "Golden Age" in the last 40 years of Finish public libraries linked their development with changing social and industrial patterns, an approach used also by speakers on other Scandinavian countries.

Peter Vodosek sought reasons for "The Usual Delay" - the relatively late development of public libraries in Germany, despite the early enterprise of Karl Preusker at Grossenhain in 1833 - and found them in the political background, which suppressed much progressive thinking in the first half of the 19th century. Later sporadic development came with the founding of the Reich in 1871, but not until late in the century, with Reyer and Konstantin Nörrenberg's advocacy of American ideas (not always accepted, however), were true public libraries founded to complement the old scholarly town libraries. Influences from France affected the cultural growth of what is now Romania - in the 19th century partly under the Ottoman Empire and partly within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Hermina Anghelescu's paper traced earlier library developments and contacts but looked more closely at 20th-century libraries. She charted the changes through the war years and the Communist period, when libraries were tightly controlled and professional work under-valued, to the present day when the need for international aid itself draws in new influences from the West.

Connections between society and library development were also stressed by the two speakers on countries outside Europe and North America. John Pateman described the explosive growth in library provision in Cuba since 1959 and the special "inclusive nature" of the network of public libraries linked to the national and regional libraries. He suggested this might be a model for other countries (as opposed to the US-funded "Independent Library Movement" which did not provide public libraries in Cuban terms). In discussion, questions were raised about the reliability of statistics produced in politically-controlled library systems, with examples from Eastern Europe. Gordon Armstrong gave an account of Durban public library, founded in 1853 and the beneficiary of Carnegie funding for services as well as for buildings, following the Pitt and Ferguson report of 1928. Durban opened the first children's services in South Africa in 1913, and also provided services (on a subscription basis) for non-Europeans. The Afrikaans community however had no strong culture of reading and gave little priority to libraries, which had a profound effect after 1948 when South Africa's government was dominated by Afrikaans politicians.

A major figure in Durban's history was Muriel Kent, children's librarian from 1920. Another prominent librarian with her roots in children's library work was Mary Solace Saxe, chief librarian of Westmount, near Montreal, the subject of Elizabeth Hanson's paper. Again the influence of library thinking from the United States was brought out: Saxe trained first under Charles Ammi Cutter and his ideas were disseminated through her publications and wide influence in Canada. This biographical approach was used by Evelyn Kerslake in her revisionist study (read in her absence) of L.R. McColvin, seen as a "hero figure" in British public libraries of the mid-20th century but notably conservative in his approach to women and their role in librarianship. This was a failing which, though shared by many others, had not been given due weight in studies of the public library ethos. Again. a lively discussion ensued, with contributions from some who had worked with McColvin and his contemporaries.

The final part of the seminar was devoted to the British Isles. Chris Baggs looked at the distinctive features of library provision in the South Wales valleys, 1870-1939. The coal-mining communities had developed a strong sense of local self-reliance and socialist or co-operative principles; these, combined with a passion for reading, led to "institutes" which provided libraries and other social facilities on a local community basis. The introduction of municipal libraries was slow and painful in consequence, and even the county library systems needed to stress co-operation rather than take-over to become established in the years leading up to the Depression. Carnegie funding was sometimes rejected as "blood money" derived from a notorious capitalist. In Ireland, on the other hand, the CarnegieTrust did much to counteract the very slow development of public libraries in the 19th century. Michéal O hAodha talked about the impact of the CUKT's 1915 report on rural district schemes, and the involvement of important cultural figures in the county libraries founded under the Irish Free State. Sadly, local communities did not always appreciate the cultural value of Carnegie library buildings, which often deteriorated into simple village halls.

Dave Muddiman discussed the role of the public library in developing social inclusion and the creation of a concept of citizenship in Britain from 1927 to 1964, and the positive approach taken by librarians such as Edward Sydney and Harold Jolliffe. His view of the McColvin Report of 1942 took a different view from Kerslake's, seeing it as a progressive document aiming at inclusion by access. The latest government pronouncements, while advocating libraries, seemed to be based in a neutral, populist mode rather than the earlier concept of improving socio-political awareness. Margaret Wallis presented the work she and Matthew Williamson had undertaken on libraries and social inclusion today, noting the historical truth that many "excluded" groups have never been well provided for in library terms, despite the implicit aims of the early founders of public libraries. Nicola Smith's paper on local studies libraries - one of the undisputed successes of recent years in Britain - looked at their development and their ability to create a sense of local identity.

Finally Keith Manley summed up this celebration of the 1850 Public Libraries Act, but pointing out some common misconceptions. It did not provide for government funding, but permitted local expenditure from rate-payers. It was not opposed solely by the Tory landed interest: the division between supporters and opponents was drawn more on Free Trade lines. Its first reading achieved a majority of 17, of whom 16 were Tories; the reasons for voting for or against were diverse and complicated. In any case, 1851 was not an ideal time for the development of libraries: MPs had many other matters ont heir minds, not least the Irish Famine. And ironically, as Manley pointed out in conclusion, an Act that applied only to England and Wales was finally carried through the support of Scottish and Irish MPs!

It is good to know that several of the papers are to appear in print, either in forthcoming issues of Library History or elsewhere (the presence of the editor of Libraries & Culture did not go unremarked). The combination of enthusiasm for library history and a very wide range of interlocking subjects made this a very enjoyable seminar, for which Alistair Black, the organiser and past chairman of the Library History Group, is to be warmly congratulated.

Peter Hoare
Nottingham, UK

The Library History Group of the Library Association

Although membership of the Group is open only to members of the Library Association, anyone can subscribe to its journal, `Library History', which has been appearing since 1967. The journal is now published commercially by W. S. Maney of Leeds. Details about subscriptions will be found on their web site: www.maney.co.uk.

Contributions to the journal are always welcome and should be sent to the Hon. Editor, Dr K. A. Manley, Institute of Historical Research, University of London, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU, England (E-mail: ihrkam@sas.ac.uk).

The Group was responsible for the compilation under the editorship of Denis F. Keeling of the `British library history: bibliography', covering publications of the years 1962-1988 and published in six volumes, the first five by the Library Association and the last by St. Paul's Bibliographies. A newsletter is produced for members.

The Group is sponsoring, with Cambridge University Press, a `History of Libraries in Britain and Ireland', to be published in three volumes under the general editorship of Peter Hoare; the latter has described the plans in `Library History', vol. 11 (1995), pp. 86-95. The LHG also promotes, in association with MCB University Press, an `Annual Award for the best Essay on Library History published in the British Isles', with a prize of œ200.

The official address of the LHG is c/o The Library Association, 7 Ridgmount Street, London WC1E 7AE, England. More information can be obtained from the Group's Honorary Secretary: Dr. Jean Everitt, Department of Information and Library Studies, University of Wales, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3AS, Wales (E-mail: jee@aber.ac.uk). A website is maintained at: www.la-hq.org.uk/groups/lhg/lhg.htm. An electronic discussion list can be accessed at: lis-libhist@mailbase.ac.uk. An account of the LHG by Peter Hoare was published in: `Encyclopedia of library and information science', vol. 39, supplement 4 (New York, 1985) pp. 261-4.

K. A. Manley,
Institute of Historical Research,
University of London

NBBS - Norsk bok- og bibliotekhistorisk selskap (Norwegian society of book and library history)

The society aims to:

• spread knowledge of and interest in the field of book and library history, with a special emphasis on Norway
• further research in the field of book and library history
• contribute to the registration, collecting and preservation of book and library material
• establish contact with corresponding organisations in other countries

Membership is open to institutions and individuals. Ahe moment the society has reached a membership of 60, including 10 libraries/archives. The National Library of Norway is a member, and suppports the society`s secretary functions. The NBBS is not affiliated to the Norwegian libary association, but most of the members are, either as personal members or through institutional membership (or even both). We even boast of foreign members: one in UK!

Helge Salvesen, historian and director of the Tromsø University Library, was elected the first leader, he is now followed by Jan-Erik Røed, director of the Oslo University Library.

A national society with members spread all over the country from Tromsø to Kristiansand, certainly has challenges in arranging acticivities. On this years agenda we plan to start a oral history project, based on a suggestion from our UK member. By preparing a standard formula or questionnaire to be used by the local members, we aim to cover part of the Norwegian library history, by interviewing "grand old ladies and men".

Among other activities: two of our members are preparing a standard for the registration of libray buildings, we have started to gather information about the libraries in the five Norwegian cathedral schools and their collections, other members particpiate in reviving the former "Nordisk tidskrift för bok- och bibliotekväsen" as Nordisk tidskrift för bok- och bibliotekshistoria (Nordic journal of book and libray history ). Most important though, is to consolidate the society, developing a network for the members, and to establish a homesite on Internet.

Berit Ch. Nielsen
Seceretary of NBBS

Petersburg Readings - 2000, April 17-20

Our hope that the first conference on the history of libraries of our city, which took place in 1997, will not be the last but open the series of such annual conferences fully justified. The fourth forum, which took place on April 17?20, 2000 in the National Library of Russia (St.Petersburg), is an evidence of it. The conference included in the municipal plan of scientific and cultural city actions, and in the coordinating plan of the Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation, supported by leading scientific and cultural institutions was a graphic evidence that in spite of any historical collisions libraries remain in the highlight of the scientific city public and adequately contribute to the development of science and culture, economic and social life.

Previous scientific conferences on library history were highly representative. Forty?nine reports made by the officials of more than 30 various city institutions were heard at the first one. It collected considerable audience: more than 300 persons representing 44 various organizations and institutions of St.Petersburg visited the conference for four days. Twenty?two institutions represented the second conference held in 1998. Fifty?two reports were heard during four days of its work. Seven Doctors of Science and 18 Candidates of Science were among reporters. The third conference held in 1999 was even more representative: 54 reports in six subsections. Since last year archivists joined us, which evidences growing scientific significance of our forum. The conference held in 2000 was imposing according to the number of participants. It attracts attention not only by the fact that it was the representative forum of participants (officials of 23 various institutions of St.Petersburg gave reports, among them were both professional historians of librarianship and amateur bibliologists). Six Doctors of Science and 13 Candidates of Science were among reporters. Participation of young scientists in study of the history of librarianship and bibliology of our city is not of less importance. Interest of youth in investigation of historical problems evidences the maintenance of succession and creation of special St.Petersburg school of historical library scientists and bibliologists.

Work of the forum was being held in five subsections: "Libraries of Petersburg-Petrograd-Leningrad" (leaders of subsection were B.F.Volodin, Candidate of Pedagogy, N.M.Komissarchik, and O.Yu.Ustinova, Candidate of Pedagogy); "Bibliophile Collections" (leader of subsection was V.A.Petritsky, Doctor of Philosophy); "Archive Science" (leader of subsection was G.G.Lisitsyna); "Bibliology" (leaders of subsection were I.I.Frolova, Candidate of History, and I.A.Shomrakova, Doctor of Philology); "Public Library: People and Books" (leader of subsection was L.A.Shilov, Candidate of History).

More than 170 persons from 27 institutions of our city visited the conference during four days. The history of Petersburg libraries is rich and varied; their spectrum is multicoloured: from unique private bibliophile collections to wide system of mass, popular, public libraries, from academic, special libraries of museums, military and civil institutions to the principal treasury of Northern Capital - the National Library of Russia. It is gratifying that this whole spectrum was represented at the conference and it is quite normally, since librarianship, bibliology, and archive science constitute a single information unit as a whole determining in many respects the richest document base of St.Petersburg.

The destiny of librarianship, bibliology, and archive science of Petersburg - Petrograd - Leningrad is not only of historical and cultural interest. As any history, it represents that past on which future is based. It should be noted that last years the attention of historians was riveted not only on reconstruction of individual historical processes but also on showing the destinies of persons realizing these processes. It concerns our field as well. Participants of the conference approached the analysis of problems under study from modern positions of scientific and historical knowledge free from one?sided groundless negation of any achievements of our recent past or unrestrained extolling of preceding pre?revolutionary experience.

The National Library of Russia is the organizer of annual conferences in the framework of "Petersburg Readings" for four years and there is something behind it. Last years our library is systematically concerned with trying to understand the way it has passed independently of any political directives and situation, on the basis of study of internal needs of library life itself, possibilities to be included in the process of global social and technological changes, strengthening and improvement of its status of the national library of the country. Officials of the National Library of Russia gave 17 reports at the last conference.

St.Petersburg is a wonderful city. The inhabitants and investigators of the city are concerned about its destiny and history. Our annual conferences evidence it. Report by L.M.Koval from the Russian State Library ("Role of the Imperial Public Library in the Formation of Moscow Public Museum and Rumiantsev Museum") given at the last conference attracted particular attention of specialists.

Experience of holding the fourth conference shows that study of the history of librarianship, bibliology, and archive science of our city is not a tribute to fashion and not an ordinary historical campaign. These conferences contribute fittingly to rich and manifold science, the science of Petersburg. Annual conferences that became a good tradition to assemble historical bibliologists, library scientists, and archivists in the framework of "Petersburg Readings" will continue. We invite to participate all persons interested. Address for applications:

"History of Librarianship and Bibliology of St.Petersburg"

Organizational Committee, Chairperson
Doctor of Pedagogy G.V. Mikheeva

Call for Papers

Libraries in times of utopian thoughts and social protests - the libraries of the late 1960-ies and the 1970-ies, 27-29 May 2001

The conference will take place 27-29 May 2001 at the Swedish School of Library and Information Studies, University College of Borås.

The times that the theme of the conference covers were a period of societal unrest. Students and workers were protesting. New, more ambitious goals for cultural policy were formulated or the protests were supressed. What happened in the libraries during that process? It is interesting to learn how different kinds of libraries were affected and how the situation differed among the countries of the world.

Papers will be refereed by a committee of the organizing IFLA Round Table and SC. Abstracts (maximum of 300 words by 1st November 2000) and enquiries to:

Magnus Torstensson
Swedish School of Library and Information Studies, University College of Borås
SE-501 90 Borås, Sweden
Phone: + (46)(33) 164063
Fax: + (46)(33) 164005
E-mail: Magnus.Torstensson@hb.se

Borås a town with 95 000 inhabitants, is situated 65 kilometers from Göteborg. Göteborg Airport is situated between Göteborg and Borås and the airportbus to Borås takes 35 minutes. The bus stops outside the University College which is situated in the centre of the town with several hotels within five minutes walk.

Officers of the IFLA Round Table on Library History 1999-2001

Secretary/Treasurer/Information Coordinator:
Magnus Torstensson

IFLA Councils and General Conferences during the years to come

68th
August 18-24, 2002, Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Theme: "Libraries for Life: Democracy, Diversity, Delivery."

69th
August 1-8, 2003, Berlin, Germany.
Theme: "Access Point Library: Media - Information - Culture."

70th
August 2004, Buenos Aires, Argentina

71th
2005, Location to be decided in Jerusalem
in August 2000

72th
August 2006, Seoul, Korea