Apostles of Culture

Apostles of Culture proved to be an interesting read (despite the devilishly small print contained within its pages). Such print size is easily overlooked however, when one remembers that Apostles of Culture is the seminal document of Library History. Here, contained within its pages, is everything from the founding of the ALA (The American Library Association) to the "mad genius" of Melvil Dewey, who was so independent minded as to spell his words with his own (supposedly) more simple system. After reading this book, it is no wonder to me that the man died of a cerebal hemorrage.

The most important person featured in this book was clearly Melvil Dewey. Not only may he be the single most important person in library history thus far, he, in and of himself, proved to be a sort of event as well. Certainly, Dewey was the meteor in the ALA's move toward standardization. "His dreams and projects were superhuman. To fulfill any one of them would have required the span of ten lifetimes" (Garrison, 105). Certainly, he is the only famous librarian whose name is readily recognized outside of the field (See: The Dewey Decimal System). Dewey was clearly obsessive-compulsive as evidenced by a journal that he forced himself to write in despite the fact that he often professed to not even wanting to. Dewey's myriad of accomplishments taking the initiative to found the ALA in 1876, as well as using the convention to popularize and spread his idea for his Dewey Decimal System. "The Dewey Decimal System, which allowed for cooperative cataloguing ventures and provided the capability for indefinite, accurate grown, seemed amazingly useful. Probably many librarians agreed with Lloyd P. Smith of Philadelphia that the system devised by Dewey, and printed in the government report, was the most valuable idea they carried home from the convention of 1876. By 1927, 96 per cent of public libraries in the United States had adopted Dewey's classification; in a real way the esoteric knowledge it represented helped to bring solidarity to the newly emerging profession" (Garrison, 5).

In 1887, Dewey took the important step of creating the first library school at Columbia University. His first class contained seventeen women, and the university did not even provide Dewey with proper desks. According to Garrison, the story of Dewey's determination to make the school work is now fabled lore within library heritage.

Dewey, however, did not always succeed in his endless humanitarian crusade on behalf of libraries and their patrons. "There was one far-reaching reform idea that Dewey could not persuade others to accept. He hoped to make the library into a true people's university by the creation of a system whereby any citizen could earn any degree, from an elementary school certificate through the doctorate, by studying at home and passing a regents' exam" (Garrison, 139). Dewey had grown arrogant at this point in time, and other librarians would not allow Dewey to get his way once again.

Speaking of other librarians, I would have liked to hear more about them. I found the character of John Dana to be compelling, but not much time is devoted to him. This lack of serious attention to other librarians is understandable: "burning zeal can carry one very far. Dewey's contributions to library development are unequalled by one man, and his personal drive and unflinching faith in his mission will long be admired" (Garrison, 192).