Everything about University Library totally explained
An
academic library is a
library which serves an institution of higher learning, such as a
college or a
university — libraries in secondary and primary schools are called
school libraries. These libraries serve two complementary purposes: to support the school's curriculum, and to support the research of the university faculty and students.
The support of teaching requires material for class readings, and for student papers. In the past, the material for class readings, intended to supplement lectures as prescribed by the instructor, has been called reserves. In the period before electronic resources became available, the reserves were supplied as actual books or as photocopies of appropriate journal articles. Traditionally, one copy of a book was made available for each 10 students — this is obviously practical for large classes only if paperback copies are available, and the books reused from term to term.
Academic libraries must decide what focus they take in collecting materials since no single library can supply everything. When there are particular areas of specialization in academic libraries these are often referred to as
niche collections. These collections are often the basis of a
special collection department and may include original papers, artwork, and artifacts written or created by a single author or about a specific subject.
History
United States
The first colleges in the
United States were intended to train members of the clergy. The libraries associated with these institutions largely consisted of donated books on the subjects of theology and the classics. In 1766,
Yale had approximately 4,000 volumes, second only to Harvard. Access to these libraries was restricted to faculty members and a few students: the only staff was a part-time faculty member or the president of the college. The priority of the library was to protect the books, not to allow patrons to use them. In 1849,
Yale was open 30 hours a week, the
University of Virginia was open nine hours a week,
Columbia University four, and
Bowdoin College only three. Students instead created
literary societies and assessed entrance fees in order to build a small collection of usable volumes often in excess of what the university library held.
Around the turn of the century, this approach began to change. The
American Library Association was formed in 1876, with members including
Melville Dewey and
Charles Ammi Cutter. Libraries re-prioritized in favor of improving access to materials, and found funding increasing as a result of increased demand for said materials.
Notes and references
Further Information
Get more info on 'University Library'.
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