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The Public Library as Cultural Force in Hagerstown, Maryland, 1878-1920
Good Books in a Country Home
The Public Library as Cultural Force in Hagerstown, Maryland, 1878-1920
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Description
Although urban historians point to the creation of the American public library as one response to the chaos experienced by big cities at the end of the 19th century, this study shows that the library developed in the rural community of Hagerstown, Maryland, resembled its urban counterparts. Business elites, concerned about the image of the town, created a library as the first cultural institution in Hagerstown. This book traces the societal changes in Hagerstown from 1878 to 1920, examines the motivations of the businessmen for creating the library, and explores the changes in attitude of the librarian who spent her career there. By using the experience of Hagerstown as a case study, the author makes a valuable contribution to the history of rural librarianship and the place of the library in American cultural history.
Table of Contents
Acknowlegments
Introduction
Hagerstown: From Rural to Urban?
Libraries and Librarians in the Nineteenth Century
Washington County, Maryland: The Context for Change
Library Education and the New Librarian
The Maryland Library Scene
The New Public Library in a Rural Community
The Ideology of Reading
Analysis of the Case Study
Product details
| Published | Feb 23 1994 |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Extent | 208 |
| ISBN | 9780313286261 |
| Imprint | Praeger |
| Dimensions | 9 x 6 inches |
| Series | Contributions in Librarianship and Information Science |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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