Getting a Good Read

摘要

In the late 19th century, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie provided funding for the establishment of hundreds of libraries in the United States. His libraries were the first to feature open stacks-shelves of books that library patrons could browse by themselves. Before Carnegie's libraries, most libraries had closed stacks, meaning librarians would locate items on behalf of the patrons and retrieve it for them. This change to open stacks enhanced the average person's access to information and greatly improved the quality of service that libraries offered. Although librarians are generally service-oriented, their traditional training deinies service to the patron as a book retrieved from the closed stacks rather than collaboration between the librarian and the patron. The patron is rarely perceived as being an equal partner in the transaction.