Unresolved boundaries: the definitional history of special libraries

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dc.contributorYates, Steven D.
dc.contributorBullock, Sybil H.
dc.contributorWilson, Emma Annette
dc.contributor.advisorWallace, Danny P.
dc.contributor.authorMatheny, Alissa
dc.contributor.otherUniversity of Alabama Tuscaloosa
dc.date.accessioned2017-03-01T17:23:09Z
dc.date.available2017-03-01T17:23:09Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.descriptionElectronic Thesis or Dissertationen_US
dc.description.abstractDiscontent with the term "special libraries" has pervaded the library and information field since the formation of the Special Library Association and the term's widely adopted usage in 1909. The literature related to special libraries has reflected this debate over the precise meaning and nature of special libraries for just as many years. This project considers the historical dialog regarding the varied definitions of special libraries that librarians and information professionals have been engaged in for more than a century. Using systematic review, the scholarly and professional literature is examined and analyzed to track definitional and descriptive characteristics of special libraries in the United States to identify how and why changes have occurred over time. Results reveal strong correlations between definition changes and shifting movements in broader library and United States history, especially in relation to the emergence and application of technological advances. Along with encouraging renewed discussion about the boundaries of what we in the field consider special librarianship, this study confirms that rather than permanent and rigid definitions, special libraries have always had dynamic definitions that react to the changing technologies and practices of the profession.en_US
dc.format.extent107 p.
dc.format.mediumelectronic
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.otheru0015_0000001_0001893
dc.identifier.otherMatheny_alatus_0004M_12310
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/2322
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Alabama Libraries
dc.relation.hasversionborn digital
dc.relation.ispartofThe University of Alabama Electronic Theses and Dissertations
dc.relation.ispartofThe University of Alabama Libraries Digital Collections
dc.rightsAll rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated.en_US
dc.subjectLibrary science
dc.subjectAmerican history
dc.titleUnresolved boundaries: the definitional history of special librariesen_US
dc.typethesis
dc.typetext
etdms.degree.departmentUniversity of Alabama. Department of Library and Information Studies
etdms.degree.disciplineLibrary and Information Studies
etdms.degree.grantorThe University of Alabama
etdms.degree.nameM.L.I.S.
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