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ston, New York, and Philadelphia. The Boston Public Library was the first such lib-
rary established for the common person.
As with the mechanic and mercantile libraries, a major motivator for the de-
velopment of the public library was to support formal education and self-learning.
While community leaders wanted to support self-education, libraries also sought
opportunities to acquire the best topics, the cultural function of libraries. Although
collecting for the purpose of educating clientele and enhancing the culture of pat-
rons, librarians continued to place a high value on the collection, and the values of
the archival function were maintained; that is, topics were treasures that must be
preserved.
Library and information service eventually evolved to address the needs of cli-
entele in response to society's needs. This paradigm shift from valuing the collec-
tion to valuing service to clientele is discussed later in this chapter.
The Library Profession
Until the latter part of the 19th century, people managing libraries were part of
the intelligentsia: the clergy, professors, historians, and other educated citizens. As
with Benjamin Franklin, these were people who respected topics and reading. A
good part of the development of libraries was due to the work of printers and pub-
lishers, whose interest was to encourage topic use. The combination of scholar,
librarian, and printer was a common phenomenon after the invention of moveable
type in the mid-15th century.
Concurrent with these developments in libraries during the latter part of the 19th
century was the development of the social sciences. The population in the Un-
ited States was growing, as were the associated social problems: increased crime,
changing family relationships, abandoned children, health issues, and mandatory
education. Needed were professionals to teach, manage schools, manage hospit-
als, and resolve the emerging social problems. The demand for professional ser-
vices fostered the development of disciplines and professions to address these so-
cial problems.
With the growth of social sciences came specialists, or professions, as we know
them. When the privileged classes discovered the need for special knowledge to
manage emerging social problems, the professions developed, with libraries to
support them.
In 1853, library leaders in the United States met to discuss the emerging field
of librarianship. The successful meeting of almost 100 people led to the conclusion
that they should meet again. The Civil War and other events intervened, and the
next meeting did not occur until 1876. It was the centennial year of the Declara-
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