A Library that Never Was: The National Research Library of Economics, Finance and Banking
| Reference Type | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Year of Publication |
1989
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| Contributors |
Author:
Peter A. Biskup |
| Journal |
Australian Academic & Research Libraries
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| Volume |
20
|
| Issue |
June
|
| Pagination |
53-70
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| Language | |
| Download citation | |
| Region | |
| Library Type | |
| Chronological Period | |
| Abstract |
In 1932 the then Commonwealth National Librarian, Kenneth Binns, conceived the idea of a National Library of Economics, Finance and Commerce, which was to form a part of the Commonwealth National Library and was to be financed by a one-off grant from Australian banks. Nothing came of it, but the episode is of more than passing interest: it reminds us, first, that the so-called information explosion is not a post-1945 phenomenon, and second, that information is not intrinsically valuable but becomes such only when someone wants it.
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