‘We Other Victorians’ [1]: Library history,the emergence of electronic networking and the conditions of professional change

Abstract

Library history has fallen from fashion as a taught element in the professional education of information workers. One reason for this is the rise of the New Vocationalism that has promoted core skills development, and in particular computer literacy, as important education outcomes at the expense of more erudite areas of knowledge development. This paper argues the importance of core skills development, but also reaffirms the value of library history as a discipline which reflects critically on the past, present and future of the profession. It examines the historical dynamics of the birth of the profession, alongside the modern library, in order to gain a critical perspective on the contemporary postmodern library scene.