Public Libraries

(History, Evolution & Background

of Public Library System)

Prepared by:
Jane L. Garay
MLIS I
*Public Library is a library that is
accessible by the public and is
generally funded from public
sources and operated by civil
servants (Raval, 2015).
*Five Fundamental Characteristics
of Public Libraries
*Supported by taxes.
*Governed by a board to serve the public interest.
*Open to all.
*Entirely voluntary in that no one is ever forced to use
the services provided.
*Provide basic services without charge.
*Public libraries are not a new
idea; Romans made scrolls in dry
rooms available to patrons of the
baths.
*The first organization that was
considered to be a public library
was created in the late 1500s.

*The first public library was created

in England- Francis Trigge Chained
Library (Raval, 2015).
Francis Trigge Chained Library
*Francis Trigge Chanied Library of
St. Wulfram's Church, Grantham,
Lincolnshire was founded in 1598
by the rector of nearby Welbourne.
*InEngland, parliament decided to
make a committee dedicated to
considering the creation of
multiple public libraries.

*This led to the Public Libraries

Act of 1850.
*Thiswas quickly followed by the
Public School Law in 1870.

*In 1870’s, over 50 cities had

created public libraries of their
own.
*Norwich, Ipswich, Leicester and
Bristol in England are example of
the famous collegiate and town
libraries founded in the beginning
of 17th century.
*Norwich City Library was
established in 1608.
*Ipswich (1612)
*Bristol (founded in 1613, opened in 1615)
*Leicester (1632)
*Chetham's Library in Manchester (claims
oldest public library in English-speaking world
opened in 1653)
*By the second half of the 18th
century in England, book clubs of
various sorts had become popular
among the growing middle class. At
the same time, similar efforts had
begun in America.
*Benjamin Franklin was among the
first to establish social libraries,
also called subscription libraries.

*The public library movement in

New England and nearby states
continued to grow.
*From 1851-1875, each of NE state
legislatures passed laws permitting
the use of tax to support public
libraries.

*The public library movement in

New England and nearby states
continued to grow.
*Later half of 19th century, many
of great public libraries were
established by individuals who had
built their fortunes and wished to
contribute to the good of their
community and country.
*The Enoch Pratt Library in
Baltimore, Maryland
*New York Public Library donated
by Astor, Lennox, and Tilden.
*Andrew Carnegie
donated more than
$41,000,000 to build
libraries in U.S.,
U.K. and many
corners of British
Empire.
*Publishing industry experienced
rapid growth. Books were printed
on cheaper paper, inexpensive and
widely available.

*Melvil Dewey, established School

of Library Economy in Columbia
University in 1886.
*He took the school with him in
Alban, New York in 1888. He was
named then the State Librarian.

*In 1927, the school return to

Columbia University.
*Late in the 19th century, several
states passed legislation that
provided for state-level support for
public library development.

*The first library to serve African

Americans (the Western Branch
Library in Louisville, Kentucky)
opened in 1905.
*Western Branch Library in
Louisville, Kentucky)
*Services to children began in 1885.
The first branch library for Children
(Cleveland Public Library) opened in
1908.
*The years before World War I
(1904-1918) were a high point of
public library services to
immigrants.
*Between the two world wars,
(1918-1939), general interest in
services to these groups waned.
Special programs focused on
European refugees from
dictatorships, Spanish-speaking
immigrants, and some immigrants
from Asia.
*Untilthe mid 20th century most
public libraries in South excluded
African Americans.

*It
was not until the post World
War II era and civil rights
movement that the barriers came
down.
*Atthe end of World War II, ALA
was charged with the task of
leading public library into its next
phase of growth.

*In 1946, ALA approached the

Social Sciences Research Council
for a proposal.
*The Council proceed with the
project and submitted a proposal
to Carnegie Corporation. The
Corp approved the proposal and
appropriated $200, 000 for the
study.
*1946, Library Services Bill
gradually gained support and was
followed by an act to provide
libraries in rural areas.

*1955, Library Services Act was

passed. Federal funds were
authorized to be spent to extend
public library services to rural
areas.
*1964, legislation was expanded
to become Library Services and
Construction Act.

*1950'sand 1960's, state library

agencies were strengthened and
developed.
*Public libraries developed
numerous new and sophisticated
reference services.

*Programs were developed to

support vocational education,
early childhood, aging,
handicapped and minority
citizens.
*1970's, planning and
accountability were becoming
part of public libraries.

*1980's, ALA published A Planning

Process for Public libraries.
*Funding for public libraries
continued to be difficult.

*The purpose and role of the

public library continues to evolve,
holding firmly to its basic
responsibility, to bring
information and people together.
*As librarians, we must,

• promote openness, kindness and

transparency among libraries and users
• harness distributed expertise to serve the
needs of the local and global community.
• help individuals to learn and use new tools
• trust the users.
*Public library is more than an
institution or a service. As Sidney
Ditzion titled his seminal study of
the public library,
“Arsenals of a Democratic
Culture”
 History of Public
Library in Thailand
*Public library was developed from
the “public reading room” which
was firstly established in Bangkok
in 1916 by the Education
Department.
*Three public reading room were
organized to make use of existing
facilities of the following schools
in 1949:
*Wat Sutat Thepwararham
*Sam Chean
*Prayoonrawongsawas, Thonburi
*Ministry of Education had set up
more public libraries to expand
both quantity and quality.

*At that time there were 20 public

libraries in various provinces,
after that it increased to 64
public libraries in 1950.
*In 1952, the Ministry of
Education in cooperation with the
Ministry of Interior, had made
the policy to expand public library
to district level.

*Former public library regulation

was improved and repromulgated.
*Public libraries were classified
into 3 categories:

* Provincial public library,

* District public library, and
*Mobile library
*In 1979, the Department of Non-
Formal Education (NFE) was
established and the public library
was transferred to come under
the supervision of the Provincial
NFE Center.
*Public Libraries can be classified
into 3 sizes and the following:
*Large-size public library
*Provincial public library was
firstly established in 1939 in
Ubon Ratchathani.
*Currently, there are 73
provincial public libraries, which
are classified in the large size.
*Middle-size public library
*Chalermrajagumari Public Library
was established to serve Her Royal
Highness Princess Maha Jakri
Sirindhorn’s resolution and ideas to
promote people’s education as she
addressed in various occasions.
*Middle-size public library
*Chalermrajagumari Public Library
was set up in cooperation with local
people, government and private
sectors.
*Small-size public library
*District and sub-district public
libraries are classified in this acting
as the network of provincial library
to give services to people within
the district areas.

*Bang Bor District Public Library,

Samut Prakan was the first one
established in 1943.
*At present, there are 73
provincial public libraries, 686
district public libraries, 79
Chalermrajagumari Public
Libraries, and 50 sub-district
public libraries.
*Public libraries in Thailand
 Thailand Knowledge Park

Address: 7 fl. Central World, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

Thailand Knowledge Park
Thailand Knowledge Park
 Neilson Hays Library

Address: 195 Thanon Surawong, Si Phraya, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha
Nakhon 10500, Thailand
Neilson Hays Library Cafe
*References:
*Raval, A. (2015). Handbook of public library
system. New Delhi: Discovery Publishing House Pvt.
Ltd.
*Prentice, A.E. (2011). Pubic libraries in the 21st
century. USA: Libraries Unlimited.
*Nimsomboon, N. (n.d.). The role of public library in
Thailand as the learning center for rural
communities. Thailand: Thammasat University.