An Introduction to Library Science

AN INTRODUCTION TO LIBRARY SCIENCE BY PIERCE BUTLER. FOREWORD THE Graduate Library School of the Uni versity of Chicago was established in 1926 in response to a desire on the part of many librarians and organizations interested in education for librarianship that a library school should be provided in connection with one of Americas great universities which would de vote itself to advanced study and investigation in the field of librarianship. In urging the establishment of such a school its advocates were impressed with the rapidly in creasing resources of American libraries and their consequent growing complexity. They were also convinced of the necessity of providing instruction in accord with the highest standards of modern scholarship in order that the most ef fective forms of library organization and admin istration might be insured. The rapid expansion of public, county, school, and special libraries al so offered convincing evidence that the relation ships of these organizations to society and gov ernment were of such a nature as to require con sideration as comprehensive and scholarly as vi FOREWORD that given to the development and direction of social and economic institutions. The University of Chicago, in assuming re sponsibility for the development of such a school, has constantly kept these objectives in mind. Accordingly, the Graduate Library School, established on this basis, has undertaken to realize these objectives through the organiza tion of its curricula, the methods of investiga tion which it employs, and the correlation of its work with that of other schools and departments of the University which seem to have something of value to contribute to the study oflibrarian ship. The School has also undertaken the publi cation of the Library Quarterly through which members of its staff and student body, librari ans, and others may present the results of inves tigations or record significant developments in the various fields of library interest. In ...