Overview
"Drawing from rare archival materials researched over a period of 15 years, preeminent Dewey historian Wayne Wiegand has produced the first frank and comprehensive biography of the man behind the Dewey Decimal Classification System and scores of other enduring achievements. Tracing Dewey's life and influences that shaped it, """"Irrepressible Reformer"""" explores Dewey's ingenious enterprise as a library innovator, New York State education official, and business and resort operator - as well as those aspects many found arrogant, manipulative, immoral and bigoted. The library world's most famous figure, Dewey (1851-1931) copyrighted his Decimal Classification System in 1876 as a young man at Amherst College. After many editions, it is used today in more than 100,000 libraries worldwide. Organiser and first executive officer of the American Library Association, he is credited as the father of library education and of librarianship as a profession. In his myriad activities in education, spelling and metric reform, state politics and hostelry, Dewey crossed paths with Andrew Carnegie, Teddy Roosevelt, Booker T. Washington, and other giants of his era. As New York State Regents Secretary, Dewey was a turn-of-the-century educational reformer ahead of his time in certification and extended learning. Wiegand gives a full account of this period, which ended in a public dipsute over Dewey's exclusionary treatment of Jews. """"Irrepressible Reformer"""" explores Dewey's further troubles with anti-Semitism and sexual harassment as he built the Lake Placid Club in New York into a $15 million property. """"Irrepressible Reformer"""" suffers none of the restraints of previous """"kinder, gentler"""" biographical treatments, as it reveals the enigmatic Dewey """"warts and all"""". Yet, the prize-winning author provides richer background on Dewey's positive achievements than any work to date. A profound character study that reads like a novel, """"Irrepressible Reformer"""" should long serve students and researchers in librarianship, education, New York State history and American reform movements."
Full Product Details
Author: Wayne A. Wiegand
Publisher: American Library Association
Imprint: ALA Editions
Dimensions:
Width: 15.30cm
, Height: 2.70cm
, Length: 23.00cm
Weight: 0.667kg
ISBN: 9780838906804
ISBN 10: 083890680
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 30 June 1996
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Awaiting stock
The supplier is currently out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you and placed on backorder. Once it does come back in stock, we will ship it out for you.
Reviews
Finally, Melvil Dewey fully revealed, in entertaining prose, built on rigorous and deep historical scholarship. This is the definitive biography we've missed for so long.
Of particular interest to technical services librarians is how Wiegand traces the evolution of Dewey's work in classification and cataloging from its inception at Amherst to its successful implementation at Columbia. Finally, Melvil Dewey fully revealed, in entertaining prose, built on rigorous and deep historical scholarship. This is the definitive biography we've missed for so long.
