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  • A Chronology of Librarianship, 1960–2000
  • Ramirose Attebury
A Chronology of Librarianship, 1960–2000. By Jeffrey M. Wilhite. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2009. 278 pp. $75.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-8108-5255-6.

Whether seeking to understand broad themes in the history of librarianship or hunting for out-of-the-ordinary trivia tidbits, readers will find an abundance of information packed into this chronology of the profession. This book begins where Josephine Metcalfe Smith's A Chronology of Librarianship ended and, according to the acknowledgments, had her blessing in its undertaking. Aside from a short preface and introduction by the author, the entire text of the book takes the form of a list, with short sentences providing information not just about library-related events but also about the technological and cultural milieus in which they took place.

The amount of information devoted to each year remains consistent throughout the book, as do the headings used to help organize it. Eight major divisions categorize the content of every year, with subheadings and international geographical headings included as needed. Adding context to the subsequent information, the category of "Contemporary Events" begins each year, and, as befits a chronology on librarianship, the first piece of information is always the title of the year's best seller for fiction and nonfiction. Ensuing events include major U.S. and international news highlights, while the second major heading, "Technology," frequently has subheadings to separate national technological events from ALA-specific items. A shorter subsection on state and local technologies rounds out this division.

The major categories continue with "Figures," where statistical and funding information can be found. It is this section that routinely provides information on salaries and grant allocations. The most diverse division, and the one with the most subdivisions, is that of "Librariana." Beginning with national and state/ local tidbits, the section continues with many library firsts in the areas of SLIS programs, publications/publishers, and censorship. The final subsection of miscellaneous facts is appropriately named "Tidbits."

While the ALA has its own subheading related to technology, it also has earned its own major heading. Here readers will find membership numbers and conference locations and attendance in addition to award distributions and division and round table changes. Typically containing less information than the others, the sixth section provides readers with noteworthy highlights about the Library of Congress. Related but generally broader in scope, the "U.S. Government" section helps readers understand what impact the president, Congress, the Government Printing Office, and the courts have had on libraries nationwide.

Finally, major international events are included under the eighth major heading, which focuses on the International Federation of Library Associations [End Page 496] and Institutions/United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (IFLA/UN). Although the main focus of the book is the United States, additional headings are provided for each of the world's populated continents. The most commonly included piece of information is the establishment of national associations.

Notwithstanding the author's admission that there might be errors in this book, the quality of work found in the chronology is high. Five years of research went into its creation, and a respectable bibliography confirms the range of this research. In addition, each entry in the book is accompanied by a source, which increases the reliability and usefulness of the book considerably. As the author points out in the preface, any errors in the work likely stem from inaccuracies in these original sources, and when discrepancies were apparent, the author consulted numerous sources to try and identify correct information.

The only critique that might be made about the work is the sometimes seemingly random nature of information included. While some pieces of information appear consistently from year to year, including Newbery and Caldecott winners, others seem to be included by chance because the author came across a reference somewhere. The only indication given of how items came to be selected for inclusion is the author's statement that the "book will attempt to cover the panoply of library subjects that fall within this era" (xi).

Given the assortment of information provided, in addition to the subject headings previously mentioned, one of the most...

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