Supporting One of Our Nation's Most Important Resources
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About America's Libraries
America's 123,000 libraries fall into four basic types (with a few added variations): Public, School, Academic and Special. There are also Armed Forces libraries, Government libraries and multi-use or Joint-Use libraries, which combine library types in one service area or structure.
Types of Libraries
Public Libraries
School Library Media Centers
College and Research Libraries
Special Libraries
Joint-Use Libraries
The Library of Congress
The American Library Association
More about Libraries
History of Libraries
How Libraries are Organized
Facts and Figures
Public Libraries
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Public libraries serve communities of all sizes and types. Wherever you live, there's likely to be a local public library nearby. As the name implies, public libraries serve the general public, "from cradle to grave," as more than one public librarian has been heard to say, referring to the library's departments that focus on areas of service, such as children, teens and adults. At the core of public library service is the belief in free access to information-that no one should be denied information because he or she cannot afford the cost of a book, a periodical, a Web site or access to information in any of its various formats. Libraries are great democratic institutions that serve people of every age, income level, location, ethnicity or physical ability, and provide the full range of information resources needed to live, learn, govern, and work. Because libraries bring free access to all, they also bring opportunity to all.
Today there are more than 16,000 public libraries in the United States. They are usually funded by public funds, administered at the state, county and local levels. Cities often provide their own public libraries. In some states, county libraries serve the populations of unincorporated areas of the county, not covered by city library service. In some instances, when a city is not able to provide library service, it may contract with the county to serve its residents. State libraries often serve as repositories for public information but also serve their state legislatures as a research arm of state government. In the 50 states, there probably aren't 50 unique ways of administering library service, but there certainly are many different organizing principles at work.
Fundamental to public library service is the right of every citizen in that jurisdiction to the information in the public library. This information may come in almost any format, as printed material, available to be borrowed by the library user, or as the library user's access to an Internet terminal, a type of audio or video format, a periodical, a pamphlet or even attendance at an informational program. Generally, residence in a municipality is all that is needed to obtain a library card. That card opens the door to an impressive array of materials, services, and programs to that area's resident. In some states universal borrowing allows residents of the state to access and borrow materials anywhere within the state. In other states, access and borrowing is regional and elsewhere, access and borrowing is local. Even when materials are not immediately available, however, most libraries will make an effort to obtain material through inter-library loan, borrowing it on behalf of local users. With inter-library loan as an option, most public libraries can offer almost unlimited resources.
You can learn more about public libraries, by visiting the Web site of the Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association, at www.ala.org/pla.
School Library Media Centers
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School library media centers—formerly known as school libraries—serve students between kindergarten and grade 12. In the best cases, school library media specialists—formerly known as school librarians—staff the media center.
Today, there are more than 99,000 school libraries. However, not all schools have school library media centers, despite research that indicates that the highest achieving students attend schools with good school library media centers.
The library media specialist, working collaboratively with teachers, helps students develop a love of reading, become skilled users of ideas and information, and explore the world through print and electronic media resources. School library media specialists have a critical role in teaching students how to find resources in today’s information-rich, multi-media environment. They work closely with teachers to provide resources and activities for course, unit and lesson integration.
School libraries are typically funded by the school district. A good school library collection will support the reading and literacy initiatives of the school and contain a collection of resources that support the classroom collections. School library media centers are much more than books. They are a learning hub, attempting to offer a full range of print and electronic resources that support student achievement.
You can learn more about school libraries by visiting the Web site of the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American Library Association, at www.ala.org/aasl.
College and Research Libraries
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Academic libraries serve colleges and universities, their students, staff and faculty. Today there are more than 3,600 academic libraries in colleges and universities and large institutions may have several libraries on their campuses dedicated to serving particular schools such as law, engineering, medicine or humanities. Libraries maintain and make accessible collections containing diverse print and media resources that include both primary sources as well as many more secondary sources of knowledge. College and academic libraries include libraries in community colleges, colleges and universities and are funded by the parent institutions of higher learning. They must support the students in all their fields of study, but they must also be sensitive to the research in which the institution is involved. Universities and colleges, through grants, are often the bedrock of research studies that support and further the knowledge base in all fields. This requires the library staff to be knowledgeable and sensitive to emerging relevant material in all formats to support the students' curiosity as well as the researchers' needs.
Many academic librarians are specialists in specific disciplines and areas of knowledge and often have second or third advanced degrees in these subject specialties. In addition, many librarians in academic institutions have faculty status. In general, today’s academic librarians are involved in a variety of challenging activities devoted to meeting information needs of students, faculty, researchers, and other library users including consulting with individuals in analyzing, identifying, and fulfilling their information needs, creating campus-wide information literacy programs and deliver classroom instruction to strengthen information literacy skills; selecting, organizing facilitating access to information in a variety of formats; keeping abreast of technological advancements and developing strategies to take advantage of them; planning, implementing, and administering computer-based systems; developing, evaluating, and organizing electronic databases; designing and managing Web sites; collaborating with classroom faculty, computer specialists, and instructional developers; and, contributing to effective teamwork among colleagues.
You can learn more about academic and research libraries and librarians by visiting the Web site of Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, at www.ala.org/acrl.
Special Libraries
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Special libraries offer services within a specialized environment, such as corporations, hospitals, the military, museums, private businesses, and the government. Special libraries can serve particular populations, such as the blind and physically handicapped, while others are dedicated to special collections, such as the Library of Congress or a presidential library.
Staff in a special library must be aware of materials, developments, issues and research in that library's area of focus. In a pharmaceutical company, for example, the library will need to offer materials to support the research that is done so that scientists have a comprehensive view of what has already been established in their area of interest. New products should not replicate existing products and findings of studies on side-effects and toxicity would be vital for further research. In every case, the library service is tailored to a very specific area and supports that special interest.
Special libraries are funded by their parent institutions. Some special libraries make material available through inter-library loan, and some allow usage and borrowing. In most cases, special library materials are available only to specific users, and borrowing and usage are governed strictly by individual policies.
Learn more about special libraries at the Special Library Association website, www.sla.org.
Joint-Use Libraries
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In many communities seeking to provide library resources for more than one segment of the population, it has become prudent to explore combining resources and services into a joint-use facility. Many joint-use libraries exist today, and there is a great deal of information about them-case studies, articles that discuss the considerations of combining services, implementation, perceptions, evaluations, advice, etc. Some have been successful while others have been challenging. As a result, communities considering this option are well advised to read and benefit from this large amount of relevant information. The two most common types of joint-use facilities combine public libraries with school library media centers and public libraries with academic libraries.
The Library of Congress
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The mission of the Library of Congress is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations. The Office of the Librarian of Congress is tasked to set policy and to direct and support programs and activities to accomplish the Library's mission.
The Library was founded in 1800, making it the oldest federal cultural institution in the nation. On Aug. 24, 1814, the Library's core collection of 3,000 volumes was destroyed when the British burned the Capitol, where the Library was housed.
On Jan. 30, 1815, Congress approved the purchase of Thomas Jefferson's personal library of 6,487 books for $23,950. On Christmas Eve 1851, another fire destroyed two-thirds of the collection. Many of the volumes have since been replaced, but nearly 900 are missing. As part of the Library's Bicentennial celebration in 2000, Jefferson's library, which was the foundation of the Library of Congress, was reconstructed and placed on view for the public.
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with more than 130 million items on approximately 530 miles of bookshelves. The collections include more than 29 million books and other printed materials, 2.7 million recordings, 12 million photographs, 4.8 million maps, 5 million music items and 58 million manuscripts.
The Library receives some 22,000 items each working day and adds approximately 10,000 items to the collections daily. The majority of the collections are received through the copyright registration process, since the Library is home to the U.S. Copyright Office. Materials are also acquired through gift, purchase, other government agencies (federal, state and local), Cataloging in Publication (a pre-publication arrangement with publishers) and exchange with libraries in the United States and abroad. Items not selected for the collections or other internal purposes are used in the Library's national and international exchange programs. Through these exchanges the Library acquires material that would not be available otherwise. The remaining items are made available to other federal agencies and are then available for donation to educational institutions, public bodies and nonprofit tax-exempt organizations in the United States.
The Library's Web site http://www.loc.gov offers catalog access to the collections of the Library of Congress and information about its many programs.
The American Library Association
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The American Library Association (ALA) was founded in 1876 in Philadelphia and subsequently chartered in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its mission is "to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all." Its membership is open to "any person, library, or other organization interested in library service and librarianship—upon payment of the dues provided for in the Bylaws."
ALA is governed by an elected Council, its policy-making body, and an Executive Board, which "acts for the Council in the administration of established policies and programs." ALA members elect the ALA president and treasurer. Headquartered in Chicago, its operations are directed by an executive director and implemented by staff through a structure of programmatic offices and support units. ALA is home to 11 membership divisions, each focused on a type of library or a type of library function. It also includes round tables, which are groups of members "interested in the same field of librarianship not within the scope of any division." A network of affiliates, chapters and other organizations enables ALA to reach a broad audience.
ALA is not a library, although it has a library. The ALA Library and its librarians are available to help with questions relevant to the Association and its mission. The Association focuses on the governance and policies of the Association, on the committees and discussion groups and other opportunities for active member participation, and on the services and products available to members. Questions from the general public can usually be answered by the local public library's reference staff unless they are questions that are specific to ALA.
To learn more about the American Library Association, visit http://www.ala.org.
History of Libraries
On a general level, library history probably starts 5000 years ago with collections of clay tablets. In Egypt, the Great Library of Alexandria was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Its collections were said to have included 750,000 scrolls. Fire destroyed some of them and some were taken to Rome as authorized by Cleopatra. While there were private libraries in Rome, Roman citizens could read in dry areas of the public baths. Early libraries also existed in North Africa and the Middle East. Some of these early libraries were available to the public; some were even lending libraries. During the dark ages, printed material was mostly sustained in the monasteries until Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in the 1400s. Early library development in France goes back to the 1300s and in Great Britain to the 1400s. Usage of materials in most early European libraries was restricted to scholars.
In the late 1600s and 1700s, library development began in the United States. Benjamin Franklin founded the Library Company of Philadelphia in 1731, known as a "subscription library." Many claims exist to being the first U.S. public library. That distinction depends on how the "first public library" is defined, whether by founding date alone, by the founding entity or by level of service offered.
More than 2,000 public libraries were financed in part by the Scotsman, Andrew Carnegie who donated considerable funds to contribute to building them. His first library was built in Scotland in 1883; the first in America, in 1889. Today there are more than 9,000 public libraries in the United States in more than 16,000 buildings.
School libraries are usually part of a school system, and serve students between Kindergarten and grade 12. Many are called media centers, and librarians are often required to have a second degree in education or a certificate in school media.
Not all schools have libraries. Historically, schools were often located near the public library so that students could take advantage of the public library's materials. As demographics changed, schools were located closer to population centers, distance to the public library became an issue and libraries within schools began to appear. Now there are more than 93,000 school libraries.
Academic libraries serve colleges and universities, their students, staff and faculty. In the United States, the oldest academic library is at Harvard University. In 1638, a new college received the bequest of 400 books upon the death of a young minister, John Harvard. He also left half of his land as the university's first benefactor. The school was named in his honor, and the first academic library was established. The 3500 academic libraries today serve 4-year institutions of higher learning as well as junior colleges and community colleges.
The 9,000 special libraries have evolved from the recognition by corporations, businesses, institutions and organizations that they have a need for a central repository of knowledge relevant to their mission and focus. If involved in research, it is vital for them to have the knowledge of what is available, what other research has been done and what findings have resulted.
How Libraries Are Organized
Libraries, like businesses, can have a wide array of organizational patterns, and these patterns vary somewhat depending upon the type of library.
A typical, traditional organization in a public library includes public services, technical services and administration. Staff serving the public are in public services and staff working behind the scenes to prepare the library's materials for the public work in technical services. Administration keeps the public library in line with its parent organization—the city or county—and handles its administrative and physical functioning.
In a traditional public library organization, Public Services includes:
- reference services (the librarians who answer questions and help find material for library users),
- readers advisory services (the librarians who help users select books or can suggest just the right book for a user seeking material, especially for leisure reading),
- circulation services (the staff who check books in and out, process reserve books, and sometimes repair materials)
- book selection (the librarians who select the books and other materials for the library with the knowledge of what the users seem to want and what the collection needs so that balanced points of view are presented)
Technical services includes:
- cataloging (the librarians who prepare a record for each new item, add it to the public catalog and assign a call number to each book)
- materials processing (staff who physically prepare each item for the public, add a book jacket, spine label, bar code, etc.)
- acquisitions (staff who place orders for materials selected for the collection, maintain files of materials which are on order, receive them when they arrive and review the invoices)
- bindery preparation (staff who prepare books for re-binding, according to guidelines set by the bindery)
- mending (staff who re-glue spines, replace worn jackets, fix ripped pages, etc.)
Administration includes:
- working with municipal entities with which the library must comply (e.g., City Finance, Human Resources, Facilities Management)
- preparing the budget
- working with the Library Board and other local agencies
- preparing policies for staff
- authorizing payment for approved invoices
- overseeing staffing, setting up interviews, hiring
The different services outlined above do not necessarily require specific individuals who only work in any one single area. Librarians and other staff often fill multiple roles. In Public Services, for example, a librarian might provide reference service and/or readers advisory service for a few hours and then complete some book selection.
Automation has blurred these lines. When a library installs an automated system, every person on the staff is involved with it. With a central database representing all of the library's materials both titles and items (copies), the system is accessed by catalogers to add records, by circulation staff to check books in and out and keep track of where they are, by acquisitions staff to monitor items on order, check them in and keep track of the funds, by the reference librarians in assisting the public and by the public in using the public catalog. The System Administrator is now a central figure with an important responsibility for keeping the system functioning. This person might be part of Technical Services with a separate Division and support staff—or might be part of the City's or County's Data Processing Department.
Technical Services in some libraries is now called "Access Services," and sometimes includes Circulation Services because the work of Circulation is so heavily involved with computer terminals. Some libraries have book/materials selection and materials ordering performed by Technical Services; others have reference librarians select and actually enter the orders for materials. Some of the tasks of Administration, such as budget, may be parceled out to individual managers. The automated library system has changed and, with each new upgrade and added functionality, continues to change traditional organizational patterns in the library.
Types of libraries other than public libraries have many of the same organizational considerations. In an academic library, staff serve the students and faculty instead of the general public. In a special library, needs of the corporation or institution are served. All libraries order materials, catalog, process, and circulate or at least keep track of them. In today's libraries, there is no magic organizational pattern. In a very basic sense, the work of a library can be characterized by how it deals with service to its own individual clientele—the public, students and faculty, or the corporation or specialized organization—how it prepares and documents its materials, and how it pursues the tasks of administration.
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