Barbarians at the Gates: A Half-Century of Unaffiliated Users in Academic Libraries

The point of view of the unaffiliated user is not often represented in the library literature; the arguments for and against opening academic libraries to th use of the public are generally made by librarians who find themselves caught between a professional instinct to provide access to all and the realities of budgets, space, and the needs of their own clientele. This article examines the literature on unaffiliated users' access to academic libraries since the 1950s, when post-war population shifts, emphasis on college-preparatory work at the high school level, and an increase in the college-educated population brought greater numbers of unaffiliated users into the library.