Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
ORCID IDs
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1964-8993
Date of this Version
7-14-2005
Document Type
Article
Citation
Library Philosophy and Practice Vol. 7, No. 2 (Spring 2005)
Abstract
Summary
The literature on the history of academic libraries was explored for three important periods in the evolution of higher education in the United States. Libraries in the Colonial period were minimal and peripheral to the college function and mission. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, academic libraries developed a formal structure and became more integral to the mission of the university, serving students and faculty in supporting more diversified curricula and research. These trends blossomed following World War II when increases in funding allowed libraries to acquire larger collections and become important resources in research and teaching Changes in technology beginning in the 1970s caused major changes in availability and use of electronic resources. Since the 1980s, increased economic pressures on university administers has caused some to question the role and function of the traditional library. Throughout U.S. history, libraries have changed in response to external influences. As they find ways to connect with the mission of their parent institutions, the academic library will continue to be considered the “heart” of the university.