The Portable MLIS - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Stepping Back and Looking Forward: Reflections on the Foundations of Libraries and Librarianship by Richard E. Rubin

One of the first things that struck me while I was reading this chapter was Rubin's sentence in the first paragraph, “Yet, although we might think that libraries are indispensable, this might not be what others think.” (p.3) This has been one of the most important things that libraries can strive to do – to advocate for the services they provide, the collection they have, and more importantly how the library can become a relevant, vital part of the common population. Those of us who are librarians and avid library users know how indispensable libraries are. We need to be cognizant of how other people think and what can be done to show them all that libraries have to offer and how libraries can be relevant to their needs.

Rubin also talks about the importance of knowing the history of libraries. (p.3) As I was reading this, I was relating that to our own lives, particularly own own personal histories. I have done a fair amount of work researching the genealogies of several branches of my family tree. This research gives a considerable amount of understanding about the history of certain diseases that have affected family members throughout time and information about social status by understanding occupations held within the family. This history has helped me understand “where I came from” and is relevant to who I am today as it is an important part of my personal history. So too with libraries. As we understand how libraries have developed over time and how their mission has changed to reflect society at the time, we can understand the importance of libraries today – how they have adapted and been flexible to reflect the society in which they are a part.

There seems to be controversy surrounding the first modern American public library – the Boston Public Library. (p.8) In the 1850's, this was the first library in America to be open to all members of society and available without charge for anyone. Was it truly because of the benevolence and ideals of Andrew Carnegie who believed that free public libraries were essential for the self improvement and education of the masses? Were there some ulterior motives for opening free public libraries at this time in history when immigration to the United States was soaring and the Industrial Revolution was at its beginnings? I think that it was a combination of both. The library at that time was a reflection of its period in American history. Because of the rise in immigrants and the need to supply workers to the workforce, libraries could fill the niche needed at the time by helping to educate and assimilate foreigners into the American culture. The Boston Public Library was merely adapting its mission to serve the needs of the community of which it was a part.

The American Library Association has constructed several documents which help define the purpose of libraries today while ensuring that all citizen's rights outlined in the United States Constitution are upheld. The Core Values of Librarianship, the Code of Ethics, and the Library Bill of Rights are guides that help each librarian and library in America adhere to the basic rights of free and equitable access to all libraries for everyone. No matter how libraries may change in the future, these values will continue to be upheld.


Rubin, Richard E., (2008). Stepping back and looking forward: reflections of libraries and librarianship. In Haycock, Ken & Sheldon, Brooke E. (Eds.), The Portable MLIS: Insights from the Experts (pp. 3-14). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.