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Chargement... Part of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library (édition 2015)par Wayne A. Wiegand (Auteur)
Information sur l'oeuvrePart of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library par Wayne A. Wiegand
   Aucun Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre.  dono421846 | Sep 17, 2023 |    ) armc | Apr 4, 2022 | I'm a librarian, so I'm a bit biased when I say I love my public library. Part of Our Lives was an illuminating look at the history of the library in the U.S. both showing me how much it's changed (libraries used to reluctantly carry fiction while promoting "best books" and there was a long history of underservice to minorities, immigrants, or other marginalized groups) and how much it's stayed the same (people were complaining it wasn't quiet enough even in the 1800s). The copious quotes illustrating his points about a variety of services sometimes made for dry, slow reading but I did learn a lot and enjoyed having some insight into the history of my profession. His last chapter or two was all that I could speak to from personal experiences, and I liked what he said about censorship and the challenges that libraries have had with the Library Bill of Rights through the ALA and navigating each community's standards of decency. For example: do you keep books in the collection that include a terrible stereotype of someone? How do you handle patrons looking at porn? I was also really surprised at how long it took libraries to carry "series fiction," even a quote from the '90s about someone who couldn't get Nancy Drew - which I found ridiculous, since I was borrowing all those books from the library at that same period and would not be the reader I am today if it weren't for that "lower" fiction that libraries traditionally would not carry or did, but reluctantly because it was the only way to get people in the door. It would have been interesting to read and debate something like this in library school. (  )1  bell7 | Jun 9, 2016 | I did find it intriguing that nothing int he library world is new as there were consistently recurring themes throughout the book: libraries as community space, immigrant and low-literacy learning, canoodling (and more in the stacks), borrowing more than books and media from the library, censorship, etc. Interesting, but skim it. (  ) Bodagirl | May 8, 2016 | ) Birdo82 | May 4, 2016 | aucune critique | ajouter une critique
"Despite dire predictions in the late twentieth century that public libraries would not survive the turn of the millennium, their numbers have only increased. Two of three Americans frequent a public library at least once a year, and nearly that many are registered borrowers. Although library authorities have argued that the public library functions primarily as a civic institution necessary for maintaining democracy, generations of library patrons tell a different story. In Part of Our Lives, Wayne A. Wiegand delves into the heart of why Americans love their libraries. The book traces the history of the public library, featuring records and testimonies from as early as 1850. Rather than analyzing the words of library founders and managers, Wiegand listens to the voices of everyday patrons who cherished libraries. Drawing on newspaper articles, memoirs, and biographies, Part of Our Lives paints a clear and engaging picture of Americans who value libraries not only as civic institutions, but also as social spaces for promoting and maintaining community. Whether as a public space, a place for accessing information, or a home for reading material that helps patrons make sense of the world around them, the public library has a rich history of meaning for millions of Americans. From colonial times through the recent technological revolution, libraries have continuously adapted to better serve the needs of their communities. Wiegand goes on to demonstrate that, although cultural authorities (including some librarians) have often disparaged reading books considered not "serious" the commonplace reading materials users obtained from public libraries have had a transformative effect for many, including people like Ronald Reagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Oprah Winfrey. A bold challenge to conventional thinking about the American public library, Part of Our Lives is an insightful look into one of America's most beloved cultural institutions"--
"Part of Our Lives challenges the conventional idea that public libraries are valuable mostly because they are essential to democracy. Instead, this book uses the voices of generations of public library users to argue that Americans have loved their libraries for the useful information they make accessible; the public spaces they provide; and the commonplace reading materials they supply that help users make sense of the world around them"-- Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
Discussion en coursAucunCouvertures populaires  
 Google Books — Chargement...GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)027.473Information Library and Information Sciences General Libraries; Reports, etc. Free public; Rate supported; Endowed North America United StatesClassification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne: (3.67)
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He does not shy away from the less attractive aspects of this history. Despite their contemporary reputation as defenders against censorship, librarians for many years were the first line of censors. They adamantly opposed adding fiction titles to their collections, and had little compunction about consigning controversial titles to the "Inferno" that required patrons to go to extraordinary lengths to obtain the book if it were available at all. Nor does he gloss over the history of racial segregation that many libraries employed.
Several earlier reviewers complained about all the detail he provides. Those bits create the depth of the narrative he constructs, without which this would be flatter, and less significant history. (