INSTITUTIONS OF READING THE SOCIAL LIFE OF LIBRARIES IN THE UNITED STATES BY THOMAS AUGST & KENNETH CARPENTER (EDITORS)

Tracing the evolution of the library as a modern institution from the late eighteenth century to the digital ear, this book explores the diverse practicesby which Americans have shared reading matter for instruction, edification, and pleasure. Writing from a rich variety of perspectives, the book's contributors raise important questions about the material and social shapes of American culture. What is a library? How have libraries fostered communities of readers and influenced the practice of reading in particular communities? The book will appeal to historians of reading and libraries and to librarians interested in the origins of their institutions. 392 pgs. Paperback