Libraries, Immigrants, and the American Experience

(Hardback)

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From 1876 to 1924a period of free immigrationthe mission of the American public library in its work with immigrants was to Americanize the immigrants by teaching them English and preparing them for citizenship. From 1924 to 1948a period of restricted immigrationthe mission of the American public library in its work with immigrants was to educate the adult immigrant and to internationalize the American community. Together, the public library and the immigrant community have shaped and perpetuated the national understanding of the value of ethnicity and internationalism to American society. The American public librarians took on the roles of advocates for immigrant rights, social workers, propagandists for the American way, and educators. At the end of the twentieth century, as at the beginning, Americans are still debating the place of immigrants in American society. Public librarians are now as they were then, going about their duties and responsibilities of providing advice and materials to help immigrants, legal and illegal, cope with everyday life in America. The American public library has remained a sovereign alchemist, turning the base metal of immigrant potentialities into the gold of American realities.

Reviews

.,."the first comprehensice treatment of librarians' attitude toward immigrants over a lengthy time span....a very important book. It is worthy of inclusion in any academic library."-Libraries & Cultures
...the first comprehensice treatment of librarians' attitude toward immigrants over a lengthy time span....a very important book. It is worthy of inclusion in any academic library.-Libraries & Cultures
[A] thoughtful well-documented new volume. It is nicely illustrated and contains a good index.-College & Research Libraries
Libraries, Immigrants, and the American Experience is an excellent addition to the annals of library history and is also recommended for educators, social workers, and those interested in the topic of immigration. Jones' portrayal of librarians as pioneers, humanitarians, and philanthropists is well supported by both primary and secondary sources, for which he provides an excellent bibliography and index.-Library and Information Science Research
The interaction between American public libraries and immigrant communites is, of course, not new, and some of its history may be found in Plummer Alston Jones Jr.'s thoughtful, well-documented new volume. It is nicely illustrated and contains a good index.-College & Research Libraries
This study based upon extensive primary and secondary sources, provides a sound analysis of this important topic and is the most extensive examination of the subject to date. By firmly rooting his discussion of library services in the context of the historical and political atmosphere of the period, the author provides a work relevant to the history of both libraries and immigration. This work, based upon Jones' doctoral dissertation, would be an addition of lasting value to any library science or U.S. immigration collection.-Referenc & User Services Quarterly
"A thoughtful well-documented new volume. It is nicely illustrated and contains a good index."-College & Research Libraries
..."the first comprehensice treatment of librarians' attitude toward immigrants over a lengthy time span....a very important book. It is worthy of inclusion in any academic library."-Libraries & Cultures
"[A] thoughtful well-documented new volume. It is nicely illustrated and contains a good index."-College & Research Libraries
"Libraries, Immigrants, and the American Experience is an excellent addition to the annals of library history and is also recommended for educators, social workers, and those interested in the topic of immigration. Jones' portrayal of librarians as pioneers, humanitarians, and philanthropists is well supported by both primary and secondary sources, for which he provides an excellent bibliography and index."-Library and Information Science Research
"The interaction between American public libraries and immigrant communites is, of course, not new, and some of its history may be found in Plummer Alston Jones Jr.'s thoughtful, well-documented new volume. It is nicely illustrated and contains a good index."-College & Research Libraries
"This study based upon extensive primary and secondary sources, provides a sound analysis of this important topic and is the most extensive examination of the subject to date. By firmly rooting his discussion of library services in the context of the historical and political atmosphere of the period, the author provides a work relevant to the history of both libraries and immigration. This work, based upon Jones' doctoral dissertation, would be an addition of lasting value to any library science or U.S. immigration collection."-Referenc & User Services Quarterly

Author Bio

PLUMMER ALSTON JONES, JR.is Associate Professor of Library Science, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina. He received the first biennial Phyllis Dain Library History Dissertation Award in 1993 from the ALA Library History Round Table for his dissertation, American Public Library Services to the Immigrant Community, 1876-1948. His book, Libraries, Immigrants, and the American Experience, was published in 1999 by Greenwood Press. For his service as North Carolina Library Association President (1999-2001) and on the State Library Commission (1997-2001), he was made a member of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by North Carolina Governor Michael F. Easley in 2002. He was presented the 2004 David Cohen/EMIERT Multicultural Award by the ALA Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table for his research and publications on multiculturalism in libraries.