| Abstract: | Summary This article reviews the American and British library literature of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to see what librarians of this period expected libraries and librarianship to be like in the mid to late twentieth century. They expected librarians would be involved in a variety of services and outreach activities such as teaching children in the schools. These writers also anticipated a publishing glut with more books being printed than any library could acquire. Budgets, consequently, were expected to be tight. Though no one foresaw the computer, most expected technology to have an increasingly important role. Improvements in mechanical devices also meant a unified national catalog might be realized. This would be but the harbinger of other cooperative activities such as inter-library reference and lending. Writers also expected libraries would be imposing edifices. Finally, many forecast that librarians would become professionals. |
