The Idea of the Public Library in the United States: Why is it Important?

In a 1954 Library Science textbook author Ernestine Rose asked her readers to ponder whether the public library is either “unique and indispensable“ or “incidental and pleasant—the frills on our civic costume”. Over sixty-five years later these opposite constructs are still valid to frame my thesis...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Bernstein, Ruth
Format: Others
Published: Scholarship @ Claremont 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:http://scholarship.claremont.edu/pitzer_theses/45
http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1044&context=pitzer_theses
Description
Summary:In a 1954 Library Science textbook author Ernestine Rose asked her readers to ponder whether the public library is either “unique and indispensable“ or “incidental and pleasant—the frills on our civic costume”. Over sixty-five years later these opposite constructs are still valid to frame my thesis with the questions, What is important about a library, What does it mean and to whom does it matter?