History of LibrariesModern Era

Prepared by:Muhammad Waseem Zia

Vatican Library (Vatican City, Italy - 1500)

In 1566, Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo created famous portrait called The Librarian.The painting reflects the importance of the book culture and libraries during this time period.The painting currently hangs at Skokloster Castle in Sweden.During the 1500s, book publishing houses gained momentum with the introduction of the printing press increasing the availability of books. Many of the beautiful libraries of this period include contributions by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Modern Era

Great Hall of the Vatican Library looking west in 1901.

1600s-1640s CEThe 17th century marked the spread of free public libraries. However many of these libraries restricted access to approved citizens and most of the libraries were non-circulating. These libraries often began with endowments from local leaders or scholars. Receiving little or no outside funding, they relied on donations. Theft was a constant concern for many of the libraries chained their books.

1700-1724 CEAs libraries and publishing expanded into the colonies, questions began to arise about the legal rights of publishers and authors. In 1662 the Licensing of the Press Act in Britain was the first step toward regulating the copying of books.

1725-1749 CEWhile subscription and social libraries were created for the benefit of a group of users, the commercial circulating library was an enterprise operated for profit. The customer's role was to simply patronize the establishment.

1750-1774 CEFrom royal libraries to diocesan libraries, personal and small libraries gained momentum in the 1700s. However, only those wealthy, educated individuals with a passion for reading took the time and effort to build a library. Wealthy and privileged colonists around the world faced the problem of transatlantic connections to acquire books.

 1775-1799 CEIn 1791, Thomas Paine (1737-1809) published The Rights of Man . This popular text defended the values of the American Revolution including the human rights of life, liberty, and free speech, as well as civil rights related to security and protection. He outlined how a government could provide for the social welfare of the people and stressed the importance of literacy and education for all. The book sold tens of thousands of copies.

The French Cataloging Code of 1791 provided direction for librarians cataloging the contents of collections seized during the French Revolution. Cards were used to record information about each item confiscated. This activity could be considered the creation of the first card catalog.

1800-1824 CEMany national libraries began as royal

collections, while others were connected to monasteries or university collections. National libraries are sometimes connected with a country's struggle for independence and reflect a young government's need to establish its own identity. Regardless of their original, the collections are often established with a combination of donations and appropriations from conflict. Many libraries were established during the 18th and 19th centuries. However many national libraries were also added throughout the 20th century around the world.

1825-1849 CEThe publishing industry continued to

grow. Publishers and authors became increasingly concerned about copyright issues. The Copyright Act of 1842 in the United Kingdom repealed earlier acts and provided future protection for the lifetime of the author of a work. The act provided for a minimum of forty-two years. At the 1886 Berne Convention, copyrights were acknowledged among the sovereign nations.

1850-1874 CEBy the mid-1800s, countries around the world were shifting from subscription and commercial circulating libraries to public libraries. In some cases, legislation was enacted to support the development of public libraries. After the Public Library Act (1850) in the United Kingdom, legislation was introduced in many other parts of the world. Public libraries slowly grew and gained momentum toward the end of the 1800s. Many of the same principles related to promoting education and literacy can be seen in the mission statements of today's libraries.

1875-1899 CEAfter the Civil War, an educational reform movement spread across the United States.This movement coincided with the development of the library movement.The photo on the right shows Herbert Putnam watching students in the Reading Room at the Library of Congress around 1899.In the mid- to late 19th century, librarians began holding meetings and conventions to discuss issues of professional interest.Specialty areas within the field of librarianship began to emerge. Finally, the first schools for training librarians were established.

Modern Library Departments As libraries evolved, their need for organization

evolved as well. For that reason, modern public libraries began developing variations of the following departments to help maintain order:

Circulation: This department handles user accounts, as well as loaning and returning and shelving.

Reference: This section is usually meant for answering user questions or gaining access to specific reference books. Books in this section are usually not able to be checked out of the library.

Stacks maintenance: Those who belong to this department usually have the duty of re-shelving materials that have been returned to the library. Also, this department reads the material in the stacks to ensure that they are being classified correctly.

Collections: This department is in charge of ordering materials and maintaining materials budgets.

Technological services: The technological services department is usually in charge of cataloguing materials, as well as developing and maintaining databases to keep materials in order.