Collection of essays and case studies outlining Australian book production and consumption, from the 1880s to the end of World War II. Explores all aspects of print culture including authorship, editing, design and printing, publication, distribution, bookselling, libraries and reading habits. Includes photos, contributor notes, bibliography and index. Two further books in the 'A History of the Book in Australia' project are planned. Lyons is Professor of History at the University of New South Wales. He has previously written (with Lucy Taksa) 'Australian Readers Remember'. Arnold is Deputy Director of the National Centre for Australian Studies, Monash University. He has previously co-edited the 'Biography of Australian Literature: A-E'.

A broad, comparative history of librarianship, this intriguing work goes beyond the standard focus on institutions and collections to help you explore the part modern librarianship played—and continues to play—in forming Western cultures. Previous histories of libraries in the Western world—the last of which was published nearly 20 years ago—concentrate on libraries and librarians. This book takes a different approach. It focuses on the practice of librarianship, showing you how that practice has contributed to constructing the heritage of cultures. To do so, this groundbreaking collection of essays presents the history of modern librarianship in the context of recent developments of the library institution, professionalization of librarianship, and innovation through information technology. Organized by region, the book addresses the widely recognized, international impact of Anglo-American librarianship and its continuing influence over the past century, combining critical analysis with chronological histories of modern librarianship in Europe, North America, Australia/New Zealand, and Africa. An introductory chapter explains the origins of the project, and a concluding chapter examines the effects of digitization on modern librarianship in the 21st century.