Courses

LIS-S 580 History of Libraries

3 credits

• Prerequisite(s): LIS-S 500, LIS-S 507
• Delivery: Online
• Semesters offered: Spring (Check the schedule to confirm.)

Description

Libraries are historical phenomena, arising within and influenced by specific sociocultural, politico-economic, and geotemporal contexts. To better understand and appreciate libraries and the roles they have played throughout the history of civilizations, one may turn to the study of ‘Library History.’ This course traces the development and evolution of libraries from the ancient world to the modern, with an emphasis on the macrocultural forces shaping libraries within each specific tradition. Library traditions in both Eastern and Western cultures are explored.

Program Learning Goals Supported

Instructors map their courses to specific LIS Program Goals. Mapped program goals drive the design of each course and what students can expect to generally learn.

• Connect Core Values and Professional Ethics to Practice
• Conduct Systematic Research to Inform Decisions
• Examine Systemic Inequalities to Improve Library and Information Practices through Equitable and Socially Just Interventions

Learning Outcomes

Instructors develop learning outcomes for their courses. Students can expect to be able to achieve the learning outcomes for a given course after successfully completing the course.

1. Evaluate and describe the roles that sociocultural, politico-economic, and geotemporal forces play in the development and evolution of libraries.
2. Evaluate and describe the role that libraries have played in the shaping of sociocultural, politico-economic, and geotemporal forces.
3. Articulate and describe the benefits that the subfield of Library History brings to the field of Library & Information Science.
4. Articulate and describe the benefits that the subfield of Library History provides to professional librarians.
5. Synthesize and communicate information/data to evaluate the historical context of specific library traditions.
6. Use historical methods to produce scholarship in the field of Library History.
7. Analyze and critique scholarship in the field of Library History.

Course Overview

Instruction is in Canvas. Lessons are organized into Modules whose length may vary.

Module 1: Why Study Library History?

Module 1 sets into motion the conversations we will have throughout the entire semester by setting the context of Library History within the field of Library & Information Science. We examine the scope, breadth, and focus of Library History, as a discipline, and then explore its relevance to contemporary degree programs.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• Why is it important to study the history of libraries?
• What value do we gain as information scientists and library professionals through this type of historical/cultural inquiry and methodology?
• Should MLIS programs continue to offer courses on this topic?

Module 2: The Power of Libraries as Cultural Heritage Institutions

Module 2 provides an important theoretical paradigm that we will use throughout this course: i.e., Understanding libraries as ‘cultural heritage institutions.’ In particular, we examine how cultural heritage institutions structure how one interacts with information and cultural artifacts, and – through this interaction – reinforce cultural identity. We also examine the definition of library, and how these institutions have been used as tools to reinforce and/or undermine dominant cultural narratives.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• When does a collection of books become a library?
• What is a cultural heritage institution?
• What ‘powers’ do libraries have as cultural heritage institutions.
• Why might dominant culture groups try to control library collections and access?

Module 3: Mesopotamia and Egypt

Module 3 focuses on Mesopotamia and Egypt, allowing us to explore the earliest examples we currently have of library traditions. We investigate the primary cultural conditions that have often influenced the birth and development of libraries, including 1. Social conditions, 2. Economic conditions, and 3. Political conditions. This module also covers the origin of writing systems and how those influence the manifestations of unique library traditions.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• How have the physical formats and composite materials of written information (e.g., books, scrolls, tablets, etc.) influenced the formation of libraries as physical space?
• How have the physical formats and composite materials of written information (e.g., books, scrolls, tablets, etc.) influenced what modern scholars know of libraries in the ancient world?
• What were the sociocultural, political, and economic forces that gave rise to the foundation of the earliest libraries in Mesopotamia and Egypt?

Module 4: Greece and Rome

Module 4 allows us to explore the library traditions unique to the Greco-Roman world. We also begin investigating the role of professional librarians, as well as the development of bibliographic practices. This module also covers the topic of ‘public libraries’ and how public has been defined differently within different traditions.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• How were the head librarians of Classical Greece and Ptolemaic Egypt similar to or different from modern librarians?
• How were the head librarians of ancient Rome similar to or different from modern librarians?
• In what ways were Ancient Roman public libraries similar to or different from the modern understanding of public libraries?
• How did the function of bibliographic catalogues evolve during these periods?

Module 5: East Asia

Module 5 shifts our discussion away from Western traditions by introducing us to the earliest examples of libraries, librarians, and library classifications that arose in East Asia. While the primary focus of this module is on the birth, development, evolution, and knowledge-classifications of libraries in ancient China, we will also cover aspects of Japanese libraries. We examine the role religion and philosophy, especially Buddhism, played in the formation of East Asian libraries and their collections.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• What were the most important sociocultural forces impacting the development of East Asian library traditions?
• What were the most important politico-economic forces impacting the development of East Asian library traditions?
• What were the most important geotemporal forces impacting the development of East Asian library traditions?
• What role did Buddhism play in the development of East Asian library traditions?

Module 6: South Asia

Module 6 continues our examination of Eastern library traditions as we shift our focus to South Asia and the native library traditions of India. Again, we examine the role religion and philosophy, especially Buddhism, played in the formation of South Asian libraries and their collections.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• What were the most important sociocultural forces impacting the development of South Asian library traditions?
• What were the most important politico-economic forces impacting the development of South Asian library traditions?
• What were the most important geotemporal forces impacting the development of South Asian library traditions?
• What role did Buddhism play in the development of South Asian library traditions?

By the end of Module 6, you will also be able to complete your first major synthesis of course content and compare/contrast the birth and unique manifestations of ancient library traditions within both Eastern and Western cultural contexts.

Module 7: Byzantium and Islam

Module 7 shifts our focus to Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In particular, we look at 1. Greek influence on the continued evolution of libraries within what became known as the Eastern Roman Empire (or Byzantine Empire); 2. The role Orthodox Christianity played in the establishment of later-Byzantine libraries; and 3. The influence that the rise and spread of Islam had on the birth of an entirely new and highly sophisticated culture of learning and its accompanying library tradition. We also begin to explore the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5^th century of the common era and the impact that had on literature, learning, and libraries.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• What was the process by which classical literature and libraries were preserved/reintroduced into Western Europe after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 C.E.?
• In what ways did the Eastern Roman Empire continue, adapt, and/or revitalize the library traditions it inherited from the classical world?
• How did Christianity impact the evolution of Byzantine libraries during this period?
• How did Islam impact the birth and evolution of libraries within the Muslim diaspora?

Module 8: Charlemagne, Monasteries and Cathedrals

Module 8 covers roughly the same time period as Module 7 (i.e., Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages), but the emphasis shifts to the historical trajectory of the geographical area that formerly comprised the Western Roman Empire. We will cover the immense influence the early Roman Catholic Church had on the evolution of libraries during this period, while taking deep-dives into the importance of monastic and cathedral libraries. We also examine the role Charlemagne and his cultural renaissance had on writing, literature, learning, and libraries.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• How did Christianity impact the establishment and evolution of libraries in the area that was the Western Roman Empire and would become Western Europe?
• What role did monastic and cathedral libraries play in the preservation and dissemination of classical literature and learning?
• How did Charlemagne and his cultural renaissance impact writing, literature, learning, and libraries within the Carolingian world?

By the end of Module 8, you will also be able to complete your second major synthesis of course content and 1. Provide an overview of how religion has been tied to the development of specific library traditions from the ancient world to the medieval; and 2. Compare and contrast how libraries have been connected to or influenced by religious traditions in at least two different cultural contexts.

Module 9: High Middle Ages, Universities, & the Renaissance

Module 9 continues our discussion of the evolution of libraries within Western Europe by examining the technological innovations of the High Middle Ages; the intellectual needs accompanying the birth of universities; and the near cult-like status that classical learning, classical authors, and classical literature held during the late-Medieval Renaissance. In this module, the core focus is on the shift from Church-controlled library collections to the establishment of secular, academic libraries.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• What were the most important sociocultural forces that gave rise to the establishment of Medieval academic libraries? Why?
• What were the most important politico-economic forces that gave rise to the establishment of Medieval academic libraries? Why?
• What were the most important geotemporal forces that gave rise to the establishment of Medieval academic libraries? Why?
• Do we see any of these forces in play today with modern universities and academic libraries?
• How did medieval university curricula and scholarship curtail the growth of early academic libraries?

Module 10: Medieval Asia

Module 10 gives us the opportunity to shift our focus back to native Asian library traditions by exploring India, China, and Japan during the same period as that previously covered in Western Medieval Europe. We cover the changing sociocultural and political landscapes of these areas, and how these changes impacted the growth, spread, and use of libraries and their collections.  The continued influence of Eastern religious and philosophical thought (e.g., Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, etc.), as well as the spread of Islam into South Asia, are also covered.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• What were the most important sociocultural forces impacting the development of Medieval Asian library traditions?
• What were the most important politico-economic forces impacting the development of Medieval Asian library traditions?
• What were the most important geotemporal forces impacting the development of Medieval Asian library traditions?
• How were library traditions similar to or different from each other in different parts of Asia during this period?
• How were library traditions similar to or different from those in the world of Ancient Asia?

By the end of Module 10, you will also be able to complete your third major synthesis of course content and compare/contrast the unique manifestations of medieval library traditions within both Eastern and Western cultural contexts.

Module 11: Gutenberg and the Early Modern World

Module 11 examines the role Gutenberg and the printing revolution of Western Europe had on the development and function of Early-Modern libraries. The rise and influence of royal and national libraries are also covered during this period.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• How did the 'Gutenberg Revolution' (i.e., printing) impact the trajectories of libraries in the Western World?
• How has technology impacted the historical trajectory of libraries up to this point in the course?

Module 12: Industrialization, Education, & Modern Libraries in Europe

Module 12 shifts our focus from the Early-Modern to the Modern world, and we examine the contributions that industrialization, education, literacy rates, and economics had on the establishment of modern libraries. The infancy of the Anglo-American ‘public’ library model is introduced.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• How did industrialization impact the growth and development of libraries during this period?
• How did compulsory education laws in the 19^th century impact the growth and development of libraries during this period?
• How did the growth and development of libraries impact education standards during this period?
• How is the subscription-library model similar to and different from the ‘public’ library model?
• How is public defined within the Anglo-American public library model?

Module 13: Americas

Module 13 continues the discussion introduced in Module 12 but shifts the geographical focus to the Americas, primarily covering the United States and Canada during the colonial and modern periods. The Anglo-American public library model is explored in greater detail, and we explore how the term public is not universal but – rather – context specific. We also take a deep-dive into the ways modern public libraries have been used as instruments of the state and how different models of government with their own governing principles impacted the collections and usage of public libraries. North American academic libraries are also covered in relation to their predecessors.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• In what ways have modern public libraries been used as instruments of the state?
• How have different types of government and governing principles (e.g., Democracy vs. Authoritarian) impacted the collections and usage of public libraries?
• How is the term public library context specific?
• Have all public libraries mirrored the philosophy and practice of modern British and American public libraries?
• How have traditional subscription or commercial libraries survived to this day? What are some examples?

By the end of Module 13, you will also be able to complete your fourth major synthesis of course content and 1. Think critically on and evaluate your own biases of how public libraries should look/operate; 2. Compare/contrast different manifestations of public library traditions within different contexts/periods; and 3. Compare/contrast the importance of books/libraries in the development of Europe’s earliest universities and the earliest universities founded in colonial America.

Module 14: Modern Asia

Module 14 examines library traditions as they appear within Modern Asia, again focusing primarily on India, China, and Japan. This module allows students to take a deep-dive into the phenomenon of colonialism and how libraries have been and continue to be used as instruments of colonial hegemony. In particular, we examine how 1. Western standards of Library & Information Science have been imposed on native Asian library traditions, and 2. Chinese colonialism has eradicated the native library tradition of Tibet.

By the end of this module, you will be able to answer the following questions:

• How have libraries been used as instruments of colonialism?
• In what ways are Western colonialism still present within modern Asian library traditions?

By the end of Module 14, you will also be able to complete your fifth major synthesis of course content and 1. Provide a detailed analysis of the similarities/differences between libraries in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, and different regions of Asia; 2. Provide a detailed analysis of the similarities/differences between Eastern and Western libraries across the Ancient, Medieval, Early-Modern, and Modern worlds; and 3. Identify and deconstruct colonial practices within Library & Information Science.

Module 15: Library Science & the Rise of a Profession

Module 15 briefly covers the rise of Library Science as an academic discipline and profession. It also allows us to return to the first questions asked in Module 1 and reflect upon our original answers:

• Why is it important to study the history of libraries? Has my opinion changed?
• What value do we gain as information scientists and library professionals through this type of historical/cultural inquiry and methodology? Has my opinion changed?
• Should MLIS programs continue to offer courses on this topic? Has my opinion changed?

Policies and Procedures

Please be aware of the following linked policies and procedures. Note that in individual courses instructors will have stipulations specific to their course.

• Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct
• University Policies