The History Of Libraries

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Annette Lamb will no longer be teaching or updating this course after May 2022, but the materials will continue to be available.

From stone tablets to digital tablets, the history of libraries is a fascinating exploration of culture, politics, and society around the world. Whether exploring the great Library of Alexandria or rural libraries of the 1900s, there’s something for everyone interested in understanding the impact libraries have had on life through history as well as the way society has shaped libraries. The image above shows the WPA Pack Horse Librarians from Eastern Kentucky during the New Deal.

From hidden walls in the libraries of Ancient China to book burnings of the 21st century, the history of libraries is filled with intrigue and adventure along with censorship and destruction. History has never been so relevant AND exciting!

Regardless of whether you’re interested in academic, school, public, corporate, health, and/or other special library settings, this course is a great elective. To plan and succeed in the future, we must learn from the past!

To register for the course, go to IUPUI.
To simply enjoy the lessons, use the links below.

Lesson 1: Library History

Lesson 2: Foundations

Lesson 3: 900s-500s BCE

Lesson 4: 400s BCE-300s CE

Lesson 5: 400s CE-900s CE

Lesson 6: 1000s CE-1500s CE

Lesson 7: 1500-1725

Lesson 8: 1750-1875

Lesson 9: 1900-1940

Lesson 10: 1950-2000s

Lesson 11: Futures

If you’re like access to my assignments and calendar, please email me directly.