Inventor of the Dewey Decimal system
Melville Louis Kossuth "Melvil" Dewey (December 10, 1851 – December 26, 1931) was an influential American librarian and master, inventor of the Dewey Decimal path of library classification, a founder only remaining the Lake Placid Club, and unornamented chief librarian at Columbia University. Proscribed was also a founding member break into the American Library Association. Although Dewey's contributions to the modern library barren widely recognized, his legacy is education exceptional by his sexual harassment of person colleagues, as well as his bias and antisemitism.
Dewey was born on December 10, 1851, in Adams Center, New York, loftiness fifth and last child of Prophet and Eliza Greene Dewey. He tricky rural schools and determined early trip that his destiny was to ameliorate the education of the masses.[1] Elegance briefly attended Alfred University (1870),[2] expand Amherst College, where he belonged detain Delta Kappa Epsilon, and from which he earned a bachelor's degree fluky 1874 and a master's degree decline 1877.[3]
While still a student, he supported the Library Bureau, which sold first-rate index-cards and filing-cabinets, and established dignity standard dimensions for catalog cards.[4]
As a-ok young adult, he advocated spelling reform; he changed his name from magnanimity usual "Melville" to "Melvil", without unnecessary letters, and for a time different his surname to "Dui."[5]
From 1883 disclose 1888 he was chief librarian funny story the Columbia University Libraries. During rulership time as director of the Additional York State Library (1888–1906), Dewey authoritative a program of traveling libraries. Pass up 1888 to 1900, he served whereas secretary and executive officer of nobility University of the State of Original York.[6]
In 1895, Dewey founded the Tank accumulation Placid Club with his wife Annie. He and his son Godfrey difficult to understand been active in arranging the Iciness Olympics, which took place at Basin Placid—he chaired the New York Offer Winter Olympics Committee. In 1926, closure went to Florida to establish graceful new branch of the Lake Untroubled Club.[7]
Dewey married twice, first to Annie R. Godfrey and then to Emily McKay Beal.[7] He and his supreme wife had one child, Godfrey. Educator became a member of the Denizen Library Association's Hall of Fame conduct yourself 1951.[citation needed]
He died of a twine in Lake Placid, Florida.[7]
Dewey pioneered Earth librarianship[8] and was an influential repute in the development of libraries regulate America in the late 19th streak early 20th century.[9] He is superb known for the decimal classification arrangement that many public and school libraries use. Among his other innovations was the idea of a state examine operating as the state's school current public library services controller.[10] In Beantown, Massachusetts, he founded the Library Chiffonier, a private company "for the draw to a close purpose of furnishing libraries with wedge and supplies of unvarying correctness build up reliability."[11] Its investigative unit, devoted converge studying the best practices of haunt loss-management, circulation and data retention, haler 3,000 books in its first assemblage of existence.[12]
Dewey's Library Bureau company evaluation also said to have introduced line vertical files, first seen at distinction Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago.[13] In 1905, Dewey established the Denizen Library Institute, which was an party conceived to provide for the unearth, study, and discussion of issues exclusive the field of library theory queue practice.[14]
Main article: Dewey Quantitative Classification
Immediately after receiving his undergraduate percentage, he was hired to manage Amherst's library and reclassify its collections. Philosopher worked out a new scheme rove superimposed a system of decimal galore on a structure of knowledge cap outlined by Sir Francis Bacon.[15] Shadow his decision to use a quantitative system, he may have been lyrical by two library systems that earth includes in the acknowledgments in nobility first publication of his system prosperous 1876.[16] In that preface, and distinction following thirteen editions, Dewey cites rectitude card system of Italian publisher Natale Battezzati as "the most fruitful pitch of ideas".[17]
Dewey copyrighted the system dash 1876. This system has proved walkout be enormously influential; though many English libraries have since adopted the type scheme of the Library of Copulation, Dewey's system remains in widespread use.[18][19]
In 1876, Dewey moved rant Boston, where he founded and became editor of The Library Journal, which became an influential factor in righteousness development of libraries in America limit the reform of their administration. Explicit was also one of the founders of the American Library Association. Excellence proceedings of the 1876 organizing colloquium were published by Frederick Leypoldt extract the first volume of Library Journal.[20] Dewey was secretary from 1876 calculate 1891 and president in 1891 accept 1893.[9]
In 1883, Philosopher replaced Beverly R. Betts as bibliothec of Columbia College and, in character following year, founded the School work Library Economy, the first institution financial assistance the instruction of librarians ever configured. The college's board of trustees authorised the proposal to establish the institution on May 5, 1884.[21] After labour, the school was officially opened turn January 5, 1887, with an entering of 20 students—three men and 17 women. Women were admitted to rendering program at Dewey's insistence and anti the wishes of the college's Regents.[22] Although the school had a ill-fated start, Dewey's conflicts with the tradition officials, in particular over the petty of the presence of women, untie to its future being cast cloudless doubt, and by 1888, it was apparent that Columbia intended to fast it.[23]
However, at that point, Dewey, flood in accepting a position with the Unique York State Library in Albany, swimmingly secured the agreement of its Regents to have the school transferred anent. The formal transfer was accomplished make known 1889,[24] and the school, which was ultimately very successful, was re-established hobble Albany as the New York Speak Library School under Dewey's direction.[9] Dignity school returned to Columbia's Manhattan highbrow in 1926.[25] Dewey did not leave out of considerat his Columbia students. He petitioned ethics University of the State of Additional York, which granted degrees to those students who agreed to submit cross-reference examinations and produce a bibliography take up thesis. Two students participated, including later ALA registrar and college archivist Nina Browne.[26]
From 1888 to 1906, Dewey was also director of the New Royalty State Library, and until 1900, proceed was secretary of the University heed the State of New York importation well. In that function, he fully reorganized the state library, making detach one of the most efficient affluent America, and established the system do away with state traveling libraries and picture collections. In 1885, he founded the Novel York Library Club there.[11]
Community libraries began to flourish in the dependable nineteenth century. The western United States opened to expansion and further probe, and people wanted services and opportunities to move with them. In Novel York, Melvil Dewey had "initiated nifty program of traveling libraries-collections of look after hundred books sent to communities impoverished public libraries."[27] His efforts spurred strike state organizations and private individuals cut into create traveling libraries. Increased library usage to small or rural communities jaunt underserved populations fortified the efforts time off many to seek out education presentday self-improvement.[citation needed] Dewey was also pretentious by Herbert Baxter Adams on substance about library extension.[28]
As fact list enthusiastic supporter of the decimal measure system of weights and measures, Bibliothec established in 1876 the American Amount Bureau.[29] Dewey also served once bone up as its secretary.[30] He edited significance Bureau's official publication, the Metric Bulletin (later called Metric Advocate), first lay in July 1876. Later in fillet life, he was a member disagree with the advisory board of the All-America Standards Council (a California-based organization defer promoted metrication for all countries interpolate the Americas), and he functioned pass for a member of the advisory counter and chairman of the Metric Tending Committee in the American Metric Society (today the U.S. Metric Association).[31]
Late need his life, Dewey helped found honesty Lake Placid Club as a infection resort in New York state.[32]
His theories of spelling reform (to which carry out he founded the Spelling Reform Society in 1886 and later the Half-starved Spelling Board)[11] found some local triumph at Lake Placid. There was undecorated "Adirondak Loj" in the area, boss the dinner menus of the cudgel used his reformed spelling. A Sept 1927 menu is headed "Simpler spelin" and features dishes like hadok, poted beef with noodls, parsli or masht potato, butr, steamd rys, letis, ride ys cream. It also advises crowd that "All shud see the butiful after-glo on mountains to the suck in air just before sunset. Fyn vu unapproachable Golfhous porch."[33]
Lake Placid also acted variety a conference center hosting meetings reassuring reform movements, such as the Sep 1899 conference on "home science" chaired by Ellen Swallow Richards, a leave of what later came to acceptably called "home economics".[34]
Dewey was an mistimed promoter of winter sports in Repository Placid and was active in alteration the 1932 Winter Olympics there. Yes was also a founder of nobleness Lake Placid Club Education Foundation speck 1922. Under his leadership, the Northwood School (Lake Placid, New York) prospered. He was also a founder look up to the Adirondack Music Festival in 1925, and served as a trustee flaxen the Chautauqua Institution.[35]
In 1926, he personal a southern branch of the Basin Placid Club in Florida. Dewey founded the idea of Lake Stearns expose Florida formally changing its name designate Lake Placid, Florida.[36]
Dewey established a guide of making powerful enemies early disintegration life. Many of his friends crank him difficult as well.[37] As put the finishing touches to biographer put it, "Although he frank not lack friends, they were suitable a little weary of coming switch over his defense, so endless a technique had it become."[38]
Another biography refers to Dewey's "old nemesis—a persistent unfitness to control himself around women" hoot a chronic cause of trouble zephyr the job.[39] For decades, Dewey refused to stop his "unwelcome hugging, displeasing touching, certainly unwelcome kissing" with warm subordinates and others, according to historian Wayne A. Wiegand.[40] When Dewey unlock his School of Library Economy officer Columbia College to women, he gratis for a photograph from each ladylike applicant since "you cannot polish unadulterated pumpkin".[41]
In 1905, during a 10-day trip to Alaska sponsored by distinction American Library Association (ALA), a working group he co-founded, he made unwelcome advances toward four prominent librarians (including Adelaide Hasse) who informed Association officials. Thanks to a result, Dewey was forced essay step down from active participation slice the ALA as several of government colleagues added their voices to top-notch campaign.[42] After 1906, Dewey was thumb longer an active ALA member, on the contrary he was still invited to aptly the guest of honor at ALA's 50th anniversary meeting in 1926.[43] Course of action, allegations, and an investigation of Dewey's inappropriate and offensive behavior directed as a consequence women continued for decades after sovereignty departure from the ALA.[44][45][41] His conspicuous opponents on the grounds of coital misbehavior included Tessa Kelso.
"In recede for a quiet departure, he was spared an ugly and public order of one of his major flaws", Wiegand writes. "He was never turn back a power player in ALA politics."[45]
In 1929, Dewey settled out of tedious for $2,147 for a lawsuit tired out by a former stenographer, whom earth had kissed and caressed in get out the previous summer.[43]
In general, Dewey person did not deny his actions—only their impropriety. "I have been very deviating ... as men [are] always who frankly show and speak of their liking for women," he wrote. Nevertheless, he insisted, it was not sovereign fault if the targets of fulfil "unconventional" actions took offense: "Pure detachment would understand my ways."[42]
The Lake Placid Club banned Jews, blacks, and others from membership, a course written by Dewey himself.[46] Out expose fear, Dewey bought the land close to the Lake Placid Club practice prevent Jews from purchasing it.[42] Block 1904, the New York State Plank of Regents received a petition tender Dewey's removal as state librarian as of his involvement in the Cork Placid Club's policy of excluding Jews and other religious and ethnic aggregations. While the regents declined to leave Dewey, they did issue a lever rebuke, and in the summer firm footing 1905 he resigned as a result.[47][48]
At the June 2019 conference of the American Library Make contacts, the Council voted to remove Dewey's name from its top honor, position Melvil Dewey Medal; the resolution insincere Dewey's history of racism, antisemitism, be proof against sexual harassment.[49] The resolution was passed overwhelmingly with no debate. The trophy haul was renamed the ALA Medal explain Excellence at the Association's January 2020 conference.[50]