The Evolution of Librarianship into a Profession

From the viewpoint of librarians, the year 1876 marks a turning point for librarianship in the United States and the advent of a modern professional movement within the field. Despite the expansion of public libraries during the mid-nineteenth century, librarians had no professional organization to facilitate communication among each other and no means of formal education to support intellectual growth in the field.

Library pioneer Melvil Dewey defined his own model of professionalism during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Dewey's efforts led the way for two events that promoted professionalization of librarianship. These were the founding of the American Library Association (ALA) in 1876 by Dewey and his colleagues and the opening of the School of Library Economy at Columbia College, New York, in 1887.

The findings of this study concluded that the ALA and the School of Library Economy have elements that define a profession. These consist of altruism, an ethical code of behavior, skills linked to intellectual theory, autonomy and a sense of calling to the field. These characteristics carry over to future generations of librarians and define how they view their profession.

Further, the advent of formal education and a national organization heightened awareness of issues throughout library history. Those most notable include technological innovations, the role of women in the profession and the relationship between the librarian and the patron.

The path of progress for librarianship began a century ago and librarians continue to respond to future challenges and opportunities in much the same manner as did those of the late nineteenth century.