How Paradigms Influence Society in the Information Age - Evolving Global Information Infrastructure and Information Transfer - page 47

tion of Independence, and associated celebrations gave impetus at that meeting
to the creation of the American Library Association. Immediately, the fundament-
al components of a profession began taking shape through conversations about
standards of service, a code of ethics, a professional journal, and other elements
of a professional infrastructure.
In 1887, Melvil Dewey founded the Program of Library Economy at Columbia
University. The program consisted of undergraduate courses that taught how to
manage a library, including how to organize and maintain a collection of topics.
Pratt Institute, Syracuse University, and other professional schools were created
shortly after.
Early in the 20th century, library education programs evolved from a few
courses to an undergraduate major and eventually a graduate master's program.
The Williamson Report (1923) urged a fifth-year degree, which began to emerge
in the 1930s. Beginning in 1950, the fifth-year bachelor's degree in library science
was converted to a master's degree. With the establishment of professional edu-
cation programs and a structured profession, librarians were firmly established as
a critical and valuable asset within the information infrastructure.
Further Reading
Because the rich history of libraries and the library profession cannot be sum-
marized adequately in a few pages, we recommend further reading in these
sources listed in the chapter bibliography: Battles (2003); Bivens-Tatum (2012);
Bobinski (2007); Casson (2001); Dickson (1986); Dictionary of American Library
Biography (1978, 1990); Greer, Grover, and Fowler (2013); Harris (1995); Johnson
(1965); Lerner (2009); Murray (2009); Shera (1976); Vann (1978); Wiegand (1996,
2011); and Zeegers and Barron (2010).
Information Infrastructure Overview
The infrastructure for information transfer evolved as human knowledge
evolved, and with it the technology to address human needs, including commu-
nication. While the narrative above outlines the progress in infrastructure develop-
ment, Table 3.2 presents a chronology that summarizes that progress. The inform-
ation infrastructure is discussed in greater depth in Chapter 4, including emergent
paradigm changes in each of the information transfer processes.
Table 3.2 Transportation and Communication Infrastructure Timeline
50,000 BCE Primitive humans draw on cave walls