000			04879cam a2200457Ii 4500
001			ocn918852976
003			OCoLC
005			20240726105003.0
008			150817s2015 enka ob 001 0 eng d
040			_aNT _beng _erda _epn _cNT _dNT
020			_a9780190248017 _q((electronic)l(electronic)ctronic)
043			_an-us---
050	0	4	_aZ731 _b.P378 2015
049			_aNTA
100	1		_aWiegand, Wayne A., _d1946- _e1
245	1	0	_aPart of our lives : _ba people's history of the American public library / _cWayne A. Wiegand.
260			_aOxford ; _aNew York : _bOxford University Press, _c(c)2015.
300			_a1 online resource : _billustrations
336			_atext _btxt _2rdacontent
337			_acomputer _bc _2rdamedia
338			_aonline resource _bcr _2rdacarrier
347			_adata file _2rda
504			_a2
520	0		_a"Despite dire predictions in the late twentieth century that public libraries would not survive the turn of the millennium, their numbers have only increased. Two of three Americans frequent a public library at least once a year, and nearly that many are registered borrowers. Although library authorities have argued that the public library functions primarily as a civic institution necessary for maintaining democracy, generations of library patrons tell a different story. In Part of Our Lives, Wayne A. Wiegand delves into the heart of why Americans love their libraries. The book traces the history of the public library, featuring records and testimonies from as early as 1850. Rather than analyzing the words of library founders and managers, Wiegand listens to the voices of everyday patrons who cherished libraries. Drawing on newspaper articles, memoirs, and biographies, Part of Our Lives paints a clear and engaging picture of Americans who value libraries not only as civic institutions, but also as social spaces for promoting and maintaining community. Whether as a public space, a place for accessing information, or a home for reading material that helps patrons make sense of the world around them, the public library has a rich history of meaning for millions of Americans. From colonial times through the recent technological revolution, libraries have continuously adapted to better serve the needs of their communities. Wiegand goes on to demonstrate that, although cultural authorities (including some librarians) have often disparaged reading books considered not "serious" the commonplace reading materials users obtained from public libraries have had a transformative effect for many, including people like Ronald Reagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Oprah Winfrey. A bold challenge to conventional thinking about the American public library, Part of Our Lives is an insightful look into one of America's most beloved cultural institutions"-- _cProvided by publisher.
520	0		_a"Part of Our Lives challenges the conventional idea that public libraries are valuable mostly because they are essential to democracy. Instead, this book uses the voices of generations of public library users to argue that Americans have loved their libraries for the useful information they make accessible; the public spaces they provide; and the commonplace reading materials they supply that help users make sense of the world around them"-- _cProvided by publisher.
505	0	0	_aMachine generated contents note: -- _tIntroduction -- _t1. 'Improv'd the General Conversation of Americans': Social Libraries Before 1854 -- _t2. For 'Plain People': The American Public Library,1854-1876 -- _t3. 'The Best Reading for the Greatest Number at the least Cost': 1876-1893 -- _t4. 'The Liberty to Read What They Will and When': 1893-1917 -- _t5. 'Habitations on a Literary Map:' 1917-1929 -- _t6. 'One Island of Refuge': 1929-1945 -- _t7. 'Winning the Battles of Daily Life': 1945-1964 -- _t8. 'An Individual Meaning to Each User': 1964-1980 -- _t9. 'Library Paste is a Precious Part of Social Glue': 1980-2000 -- _tEpilogue. 2000-Present.
530			_a2 _ub
650		0	_aPublic libraries _zUnited States _xHistory.
650		0	_aLibraries _zUnited States _xPublic opinion _xHistory.
650		0	_aPublic opinion _zUnited States _xHistory.
650		0	_aLibrary users _zUnited States _xAttitudes _xHistory.
650		0	_aPublic libraries _xSocial aspects _zUnited States _xHistory.
650		0	_aLibraries and community _zUnited States _xHistory.
650		0	_aLibraries and society _zUnited States _xHistory.
650		0	_aBooks and reading _zUnited States _xHistory.
655		1	_aElectronic Books.
856	4	0	_uhttps://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=1052370&site=eds-live&custid=s3260518 _zClick to access digital title | log in using your CIU ID number and my.ciu.edu password
942			_cOB _D _eEB _hZ _m2015 _QOL _R _x _8NFIC _2LOC
994			_a02 _bNT
999			_c85100 _d85100
902			_a1 _bCynthia Snell _c1 _dCynthia Snell